CVE-2018-17948 in Access Manager Identity Provider
Summary
by MITRE
An open redirect vulnerability exists in the Access Manager Identity Provider prior to 4.4 SP3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2020
The open redirect vulnerability identified in CVE-2018-17948 affects the Access Manager Identity Provider component prior to version 4.4 SP3, representing a significant security weakness that can be exploited by malicious actors to facilitate phishing attacks and unauthorized access attempts. This vulnerability resides within the identity provider's redirect functionality, which is commonly used in authentication flows to direct users to appropriate authentication endpoints or service providers. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate redirect parameters in a way that can trick users into navigating to malicious websites while appearing to be part of a legitimate authentication process. The vulnerability specifically impacts organizations using Oracle Access Manager versions before the 4.4 SP3 release, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit this weakness in environments where identity federation and single sign-on mechanisms are deployed.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of redirect URLs within the Access Manager Identity Provider component. When users initiate authentication requests or are redirected between different service providers, the system fails to properly verify the destination URLs against a whitelist or trusted domain list. This lack of input sanitization and validation creates an environment where attackers can craft malicious redirect URLs containing crafted parameters that point to attacker-controlled domains. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes user requests without adequately checking whether the redirect target is within the organization's trusted domain boundaries or if it contains malicious content that could lead to credential theft or other security breaches. This weakness directly aligns with CWE-601 Open Redirect vulnerability classification, which specifically addresses the risk of redirecting users to untrusted websites through insufficient validation of redirect parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple phishing attacks, as it can be leveraged in more sophisticated attack scenarios including credential harvesting, session hijacking, and social engineering campaigns. Attackers can craft deceptive URLs that appear legitimate to users but redirect them to malicious sites designed to capture authentication credentials or install malware. In enterprise environments using Oracle Access Manager for identity federation, this vulnerability can compromise the integrity of the entire authentication infrastructure by enabling attackers to bypass security controls that rely on proper redirect handling. The vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently access multiple applications through a single sign-on system, as successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to multiple applications and services within the organization's ecosystem. Organizations may experience reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues, and potential data breaches when this vulnerability is exploited in the wild.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the official Oracle security patches for Oracle Access Manager version 4.4 SP3 or later, which address the redirect validation issues. Additionally, implementing strict URL validation mechanisms within the identity provider configuration can help prevent unauthorized redirects by enforcing a whitelist of approved domains. Network-level controls such as web application firewalls and URL filtering systems can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and blocking suspicious redirect patterns. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected Oracle Access Manager installations and ensure proper patch management processes are in place. The mitigation approach should also include user education initiatives to help identify potential phishing attempts and establish monitoring procedures for detecting anomalous redirect behaviors. Organizations should consider implementing the principle of least privilege for redirect configurations and regularly audit authentication flows to ensure that redirect parameters are properly validated. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust input validation controls in identity management systems, as highlighted by ATT&CK technique T1566 Phishing which encompasses various methods of deceiving users into visiting malicious websites through manipulated redirects.