CVE-2018-1000549 in Wekan
Summary
by MITRE
Wekan version 1.04.0 contains a Email / Username Enumeration vulnerability in Register' and 'Forgot your password?' pages that can result in A remote attacker could perform a brute force attack to obtain valid usernames and email addresses.. This attack appear to be exploitable via HTTP Request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1000549 affects Wekan version 1.04.0 and represents a critical security flaw in the application's user registration and password recovery mechanisms. This enumeration vulnerability specifically targets the register and forgot password functionality, creating a significant risk for system security. The flaw allows remote attackers to systematically determine valid usernames and email addresses through carefully crafted HTTP requests, essentially providing an attack surface that undermines the fundamental security assumptions of user authentication systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper response handling during user account validation processes. When users attempt to register with existing email addresses or request password resets for non-existent accounts, the application provides different response messages or status codes that reveal whether the provided email or username already exists in the system. This differential response behavior creates a predictable pattern that malicious actors can exploit through automated scripts to perform systematic enumeration attacks. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-203, which describes "Information Exposure Through Discrepancy in Response Messages" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001 for Account Discovery through credential stuffing and brute force attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can lead to account compromise and system infiltration. Attackers can leverage the enumerated credentials to conduct targeted brute force attacks against password recovery mechanisms, potentially leading to full account takeover scenarios. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of user authentication data, as it provides attackers with a systematic method to gather valid account information without requiring prior knowledge of legitimate users. This weakness particularly undermines the security of applications that rely on strong user authentication as a primary defense mechanism, creating a pathway for unauthorized access that could escalate to broader system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of consistent response handling across all user validation endpoints. Organizations should ensure that all registration and password recovery requests return identical responses regardless of whether the provided email or username exists in the system. This approach eliminates the information leakage that enables enumeration attacks and aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines. Additionally, implementing rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms can further reduce the effectiveness of automated brute force attempts, while proper input validation and sanitization should be enforced throughout the authentication workflow to prevent other related attack vectors from exploiting similar weaknesses in the application's security architecture.