CVE-2018-15208 in SmartVista
Summary
by MITRE
BPC SmartVista 2 has Session Fixation via the JSESSIONID parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15208 affects BPC SmartVista 2 software, specifically targeting its session management mechanisms through the JSESSIONID parameter. This issue represents a critical session fixation vulnerability that allows attackers to hijack user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems. The flaw exists within the web application's authentication and session handling processes, where the application fails to properly invalidate or regenerate session identifiers upon successful authentication, creating opportunities for session manipulation attacks.
Session fixation vulnerabilities occur when an application does not adequately change session identifiers after a user authenticates, allowing an attacker who knows the session identifier to reuse it and impersonate the legitimate user. In the context of BPC SmartVista 2, the JSESSIONID parameter serves as the primary session identifier that the application uses to track user sessions. When an attacker can predict or obtain a valid JSESSIONID value, they can establish a session with the application before the user authenticates, then use the same session identifier after the user logs in, effectively bypassing authentication controls.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-384, which specifically addresses session fixation issues in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1565.001 related to "Credentials from Password Stores" and T1562.001 for "Impair Defenses". The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to maintain persistent access to the system without requiring valid credentials, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, and unauthorized system modifications. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to access sensitive business intelligence data, modify configurations, or perform administrative actions within the BPC SmartVista environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal prerequisites and can be executed through automated tools that manipulate HTTP cookies or parameters. Attackers typically begin by obtaining a valid JSESSIONID value, either through prior access to the system or by intercepting session identifiers during network traffic analysis. Once obtained, they can use this identifier to establish a session with the application, and when a legitimate user authenticates, the same session identifier is reused, allowing the attacker to assume the user's identity. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where the application does not implement proper session management controls, such as session regeneration after authentication, secure cookie attributes, or robust session timeout mechanisms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including forcing session regeneration upon successful authentication, implementing secure session management practices, and ensuring that session identifiers are properly invalidated when users log out. The application should be configured to use secure cookie attributes including HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite flags to prevent session hijacking attempts. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual session behavior patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following OWASP Top Ten security practices, particularly those related to session management and authentication controls, and demonstrates the necessity of regular security assessments to identify and remediate such critical flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors.