CVE-2018-11082 in UAA
Summary
by MITRE
Cloud Foundry UAA, all versions prior to 4.20.0 and Cloud Foundry UAA Release, all versions prior to 61.0, allows brute forcing of MFA codes. A remote unauthenticated malicious user in possession of a valid username and password can brute force MFA to login as the targeted user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11082 affects Cloud Foundry User Account and Authentication (UAA) systems, specifically targeting versions prior to 4.20.0 for the core UAA component and prior to 61.0 for the UAA release. This weakness represents a critical security flaw that undermines the multi-factor authentication (MFA) protection mechanisms designed to safeguard user accounts within Cloud Foundry environments. The vulnerability operates by allowing unauthorized attackers to exploit the authentication flow through brute force techniques against MFA codes, effectively bypassing the additional security layer that should protect against unauthorized access attempts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient rate limiting and validation controls within the MFA authentication process. When a legitimate user attempts to authenticate using MFA, the system should enforce strict controls to prevent automated or repeated authentication attempts that could lead to successful brute force attacks. However, in affected versions of Cloud Foundry UAA, these protective mechanisms are either absent or inadequately implemented, allowing attackers to systematically test multiple MFA code combinations without triggering appropriate account lockout or delay mechanisms. This flaw specifically affects the authentication flow where users provide valid credentials followed by MFA codes, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it represents a significant risk to Cloud Foundry environments that rely on MFA for enhanced security. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, and unauthorized modifications to applications and services running within the Cloud Foundry platform. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where sensitive data or critical applications are hosted, as successful exploitation could result in comprehensive compromise of the platform's security posture. Organizations using Cloud Foundry without proper MFA protections or with vulnerable UAA versions face substantial exposure to credential stuffing and account takeover attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-11082 primarily focus on immediate version upgrades to Cloud Foundry UAA 4.20.0 or later for the core component and 61.0 or later for the UAA release. Organizations should also implement additional protective measures including enhanced rate limiting at the network level, implementation of account lockout mechanisms after failed authentication attempts, and deployment of intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious authentication patterns. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-307, which addresses "Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts," and maps to ATT&CK technique T1110, which covers "Brute Force." Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls such as IP whitelisting, time-based restrictions on authentication attempts, and enhanced monitoring of authentication logs to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of updated systems to ensure that the MFA functionality operates correctly and that rate limiting mechanisms are properly enforced.