CVE-2018-11639 in PowerMedia XMS
Summary
by MITRE
Plaintext Storage of Passwords within Cookies in /var/www/xms/application/controllers/verifyLogin.php in the administrative console in Dialogic PowerMedia XMS before 3.5 SU2 allows remote attackers to access a user's password in cleartext.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11639 represents a critical security flaw in the Dialogic PowerMedia XMS administrative console affecting versions prior to 3.5 SU2. This issue stems from the improper handling of authentication credentials within the web application's cookie storage mechanism, creating a significant exposure risk for user authentication data. The vulnerability specifically resides in the verifyLogin.php controller file located at /var/www/xms/application/controllers/verifyLogin.php, which processes user authentication requests and stores session information in cookies without adequate cryptographic protection. The flaw allows remote attackers to directly access user passwords in plaintext format, fundamentally undermining the security of the administrative console and potentially providing unauthorized access to critical system functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear violation of secure coding practices and represents a direct instance of CWE-312, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper storage of credentials. The flaw occurs when the application stores user authentication tokens or passwords within HTTP cookies in an unencrypted format, making them accessible to any attacker who can intercept network traffic or gain access to the affected system's cookie storage. This plaintext storage approach completely bypasses standard security measures such as encryption, hashing, or secure session management protocols that should normally protect authentication credentials. The vulnerability enables attackers to retrieve user passwords directly from the cookie data without requiring additional exploitation techniques, as the credentials are stored in their original readable format.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides attackers with direct access to administrative functions within the Dialogic PowerMedia XMS platform. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to the administrative console, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, service disruption, or unauthorized configuration changes. The vulnerability affects the entire administrative user base, as any authenticated user session would contain the plaintext password information in the cookie storage. This exposure creates a persistent risk that remains active until the affected system is properly updated or patched, and the compromised credentials can be immediately used to escalate privileges or maintain persistent access to the system. The impact is particularly severe given that administrative consoles typically possess elevated privileges and control over critical system functions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-11639 require immediate implementation of proper cryptographic protection for all session data and authentication tokens stored in cookies. Organizations should ensure that all authentication credentials are encrypted using strong encryption algorithms before being stored in cookies, and that session management follows established security best practices including secure cookie attributes such as HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite flags. The most effective immediate solution involves updating the Dialogic PowerMedia XMS platform to version 3.5 SU2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the plaintext storage issue. Additionally, security teams should implement network monitoring to detect potential cookie interception attempts and establish proper access controls for the administrative console. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar credential storage issues within web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 which focuses on credential access through various attack vectors including web application vulnerabilities.