CVE-2018-14387 in WonderCMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in WonderCMS before 2.5.2. An attacker can create a new session on a web application and record the associated session identifier. The attacker then causes the victim to authenticate against the server using the same session identifier. The attacker can access the user's account through the active session. The Session Fixation attack fixes a session on the victim's browser, so the attack starts before the user logs in.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical session fixation flaw in WonderCMS versions prior to 2.5.2, exposing the application to unauthorized account access through a well-established attack vector. The issue stems from the application's failure to properly invalidate session identifiers upon user authentication, creating a scenario where an attacker can establish a known session ID and subsequently hijack a victim's authenticated session. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the fundamental principle that session identifiers should be unique and unpredictable for each authentication event, yet WonderCMS allows session fixation to occur before user login, enabling the attacker to maintain persistent access to the victim's account.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the application's session management mechanism failing to generate new session tokens upon successful authentication, leaving the original session identifier active and usable by the attacker. This creates a window of opportunity where an attacker can pre-establish a session with a known identifier, then诱导 victim to authenticate using the same session ID, thereby gaining unauthorized access to the victim's account with the same privileges. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication flow where session identifiers are not properly regenerated after the initial session creation, allowing the attacker to leverage the established session context for account takeover. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-384 as Session Fixation, which is categorized as a high-risk security flaw that directly impacts the integrity of the authentication process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account takeover, as it can lead to complete compromise of user accounts and potentially broader system access if the compromised accounts have elevated privileges. Attackers can exploit this weakness to access sensitive user data, modify account settings, execute unauthorized transactions, and maintain persistent access to the application without requiring valid credentials. The attack requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed through various means including social engineering, phishing campaigns, or by embedding malicious session identifiers in web pages that victims visit. This vulnerability particularly affects web applications that do not implement proper session management practices, making it a common target for automated attacks and manual exploitation attempts.
Organizations using WonderCMS versions prior to 2.5.2 should immediately implement security patches to address this session fixation vulnerability. The recommended mitigation involves ensuring that session identifiers are regenerated upon successful authentication, implementing proper session invalidation mechanisms, and employing additional security controls such as secure session cookie attributes including HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite flags. The fix should be implemented in accordance with OWASP Session Management recommendations, which emphasize the importance of session regeneration after authentication events to prevent session fixation attacks. Additionally, implementing proper session timeout mechanisms and monitoring for suspicious session activity can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.003 for hijacking sessions and demonstrates the critical importance of proper session management in web application security frameworks, as outlined in NIST SP 800-53 security controls for authentication and session management.