CVE-2019-14367 in Slack-Chat
Summary
by MITRE
Slack-Chat through 1.5.5 leaks a Slack Access Token in source code. An attacker can obtain a lot of information about the victim's Slack (channels, members, etc.).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-14367 represents a critical security flaw in Slack-Chat versions 1.5.5 and earlier, where the application inadvertently exposes Slack Access Tokens within its source code. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of hardcoded credentials, which is classified as CWE-798 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The flaw occurs when developers embed authentication tokens directly into the application source code during development or deployment phases without proper sanitization or secure credential management practices. Such hardcoded tokens create persistent security risks that can be exploited by attackers who gain access to the application's source code or associated repositories.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to extract Slack Access Tokens from the application's source code through various means including direct code inspection, version control system enumeration, or by exploiting other vulnerabilities that grant access to the application's codebase. Once obtained, these tokens provide attackers with extensive access privileges to the victim's Slack workspace, enabling them to read channel messages, access member information, retrieve file data, and potentially manipulate workspace configurations. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as these tokens can be used to maintain persistent access to the compromised Slack environment, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations relying on Slack for business communications.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted, affecting both the confidentiality and integrity of Slack-based communications. Attackers with access tokens can perform reconnaissance activities to map out the organization's communication structure, identify key personnel, and discover sensitive information shared within channels. This reconnaissance capability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the reconnaissance phase, specifically targeting credential access and discovery of network resources. The vulnerability also enables privilege escalation attacks where attackers can potentially elevate their access levels within the Slack environment, further compromising organizational security posture.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, including immediate code reviews to identify and remove hardcoded credentials, implementation of secure credential management systems such as secret management tools, and regular security audits of source code repositories. The remediation process should involve migrating from hardcoded tokens to secure credential storage solutions like HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or similar platforms that provide dynamic credential management. Additionally, organizations must establish secure development practices including code scanning tools that can detect hardcoded credentials, automated security testing during the development lifecycle, and regular security training for development teams to prevent similar issues in future applications. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of proper access controls and monitoring of source code repositories to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.