CVE-2018-16162 in OpenDolphin
Summary
by MITRE
OpenDolphin 2.7.0 and earlier allows authenticated attackers to obtain other users credentials such as a user ID and/or its password via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16162 affects OpenDolphin versions 2.7.0 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines user authentication mechanisms within the system. This issue permits authenticated attackers to extract sensitive credential information from other users, creating a significant risk for unauthorized access and privilege escalation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and improper validation of user requests within the application's authentication framework, allowing malicious actors who have already gained access to the system to exploit weaknesses in the credential handling process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves unspecified vectors that likely exploit weaknesses in the application's session management or user privilege validation mechanisms. Attackers with valid login credentials can leverage this flaw to bypass normal access controls and retrieve authentication tokens, user identifiers, or password hashes belonging to other system users. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-284 indicates improper access control issues, where the system fails to properly enforce authorization checks during credential retrieval operations. This weakness enables attackers to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to additional user accounts, potentially compromising the entire user base within the OpenDolphin environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-16162 extends beyond simple credential theft, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited for extended periods without detection. Once an attacker establishes a foothold within the system, they can systematically harvest credentials from multiple users, leading to widespread compromise of sensitive data and system resources. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and credential access, as it allows attackers to obtain legitimate user credentials through legitimate system access paths. This makes detection particularly challenging since the malicious activity appears to originate from authenticated user sessions, complicating forensic analysis and incident response efforts.
Organizations utilizing OpenDolphin 2.7.0 or earlier must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary solution involves upgrading to a patched version of the software that resolves the credential exposure issue through improved access control mechanisms and proper authentication validation. Additionally, administrators should implement enhanced monitoring of authentication events and user session activities to detect anomalous credential access patterns. Network segmentation and least-privilege access controls should be enforced to limit the potential impact of credential compromise. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar access control weaknesses in other applications and systems within the organization's infrastructure, as such flaws often indicate broader architectural security concerns that require comprehensive remediation strategies.