CVE-2019-11540 in Pulse Connect Secure
Summary
by MITRE
In Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure version 9.0RX before 9.0R3.4 and 8.3RX before 8.3R7.1 and Pulse Policy Secure version 9.0RX before 9.0R3.2 and 5.4RX before 5.4R7.1, an unauthenticated, remote attacker can conduct a session hijacking attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-11540 affects Pulse Secure Pulse Connect Secure and Pulse Policy Secure appliances, representing a critical session hijacking flaw that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to compromise user sessions. This vulnerability exists in specific version ranges of the Pulse Secure software, including 9.0RX versions before 9.0R3.4 and 8.3RX versions before 8.3R7.1 for Pulse Connect Secure, and 9.0RX versions before 9.0R3.2 and 5.4RX versions before 5.4R7.1 for Pulse Policy Secure. The flaw stems from insufficient session management and authentication mechanisms within the affected software implementations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of session tokens and authentication states within the Pulse Secure appliances. Attackers can exploit this weakness to hijack active user sessions without requiring valid credentials, effectively gaining unauthorized access to protected network resources and sensitive information. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the absence of proper session validation controls, allowing malicious actors to manipulate session identifiers and impersonate legitimate users within the network infrastructure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Pulse Secure appliances for remote access and network security. Successful exploitation enables attackers to gain persistent access to corporate networks, potentially leading to data breaches, lateral movement, and extended compromise of network resources. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as attackers can maintain their sessions undetected, allowing for prolonged reconnaissance and data exfiltration activities. Organizations with extensive remote workforce deployments using these appliances face particularly high risk due to the widespread nature of the affected software.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-384, which addresses session management flaws that can lead to session hijacking attacks, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1563.002 for "Tunneling" and T1071.004 for "Application Layer Protocol: DNS" which attackers may use to exploit the session hijacking capability. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches for the affected versions, implementing additional authentication controls, and monitoring for suspicious session activity. Network segmentation and enhanced logging of authentication events can provide additional defense in depth. The remediation process requires careful planning to ensure that patch deployment does not disrupt critical network services while maintaining the security posture of the affected infrastructure.