CVE-2017-7662 in CXF Fediz
Summary
by MITRE
Apache CXF Fediz ships with an OpenId Connect (OIDC) service which has a Client Registration Service, which is a simple web application that allows clients to be created, deleted, etc. A CSRF (Cross Style Request Forgery) style vulnerability has been found in this web application in Apache CXF Fediz prior to 1.4.0 and 1.3.2, meaning that a malicious web application could create new clients, or reset secrets, etc, after the admin user has logged on to the client registration service and the session is still active.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7662 affects Apache CXF Fediz, a comprehensive identity and access management framework that provides federated identity services including OpenID Connect support. This particular flaw resides within the Client Registration Service component of the OpenID Connect implementation, which serves as a web-based administrative interface for managing client applications within the federation. The service operates as a simple web application that enables authorized administrators to perform routine client management operations such as creating new client registrations, deleting existing clients, and resetting client secrets. The vulnerability stems from insufficient protection mechanisms against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks, which represent a class of security flaws categorized under CWE-352, specifically targeting the lack of anti-CSRF measures in web applications. When an administrator authenticates to the client registration service and maintains an active session, the absence of proper CSRF protection creates an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors to manipulate the system without the administrator's knowledge or consent.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the administrative web interface while the victim administrator remains logged in. An attacker can craft malicious web pages or embed malicious content within other websites that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submits requests to the Client Registration Service endpoints. These requests can create unauthorized client registrations, modify existing client configurations, or reset client secrets, effectively compromising the integrity and security of the entire federation. The attack vector leverages the trust relationship between the web application and the authenticated user session, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no credentials or authentication bypass techniques. The vulnerability affects Apache CXF Fediz versions prior to 1.4.0 and 1.3.2, indicating that organizations using these older versions remain at risk of exploitation, with the attack being particularly effective in environments where administrators frequently access the administrative interface and maintain extended sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized client management operations, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of federated identity systems that rely on proper client registration controls. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can establish unauthorized client applications that may be used for malicious purposes such as credential harvesting, unauthorized access to protected resources, or as stepping stones for further attacks within the federated environment. The ability to reset client secrets provides attackers with persistent access to legitimate client applications, potentially enabling long-term unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by compromising the integrity of the client registration process and potentially weakening the confidentiality and availability of federated services. The attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.003 (Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as it exploits legitimate administrative sessions to perform unauthorized operations.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Apache CXF Fediz versions 1.4.0 or 1.3.2 and later, which contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. The fix typically involves implementing proper anti-CSRF tokens that are validated on each request to the client registration service, ensuring that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same domain. Additional mitigations include implementing session timeout policies, requiring multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and monitoring administrative activities for suspicious patterns. Network-level controls such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by detecting and blocking malicious requests to the client registration endpoints. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of implementing proper anti-CSRF protections in administrative web interfaces, as these components often represent high-value targets for attackers seeking to compromise entire federated identity systems. Security teams should conduct thorough assessments of their federated identity environments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other components that may expose administrative interfaces without adequate protection mechanisms.