CVE-2018-7272 in Forgerock
Summary
by MITRE
The REST APIs in ForgeRock AM before 5.5.0 include SSOToken IDs as part of the URL, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information by finding an ID value in a log file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-7272 affects ForgeRock Access Management systems prior to version 5.5.0, specifically within their REST API implementations. This issue represents a critical security flaw that exposes session identifiers directly in URL parameters, creating significant risks for organizations relying on these access management solutions. The flaw stems from the improper handling of authentication tokens within the application programming interface design, where session management information becomes visible in plain text within web requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the inclusion of SSOToken IDs as URL query parameters rather than utilizing secure session management practices. When users authenticate through the ForgeRock AM system, their session tokens are embedded directly into the REST API endpoints as part of the URL structure. This approach fundamentally violates secure coding principles and exposes sensitive session information to various attack vectors. The vulnerability manifests when these token identifiers appear in web server logs, browser history, referral headers, or any system that records URL information, making them accessible to unauthorized parties.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates multiple attack surfaces that can lead to serious security compromises. An attacker who gains access to log files, either through direct system access, administrative privileges, or by exploiting other vulnerabilities, can extract valid SSOToken IDs and use them to impersonate legitimate users. This allows for unauthorized access to protected resources, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within the network. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as these tokens can be used to escalate privileges, access restricted content, and maintain persistent access to the system.
The vulnerability aligns with several common weakness enumerations including CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and CWE-540, which covers exposure of sensitive information through log files. From the MITRE ATT&CK framework perspective, this issue maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation, specifically T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential dumping. The exposure of session tokens in URLs represents a clear violation of secure session management practices and demonstrates poor input validation and output encoding controls.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to ForgeRock Access Management version 5.5.0 or later, which addresses this specific vulnerability through improved session management implementation. Additional protective measures include implementing URL parameter validation, ensuring proper log file sanitization, and configuring web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious URL patterns. System administrators should also review and audit existing log files for potential exposure of session tokens, implement proper access controls on log files, and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access to sensitive information. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that session identifiers are no longer exposed in URL structures and that proper token management practices are implemented throughout the application architecture.