CVE-2019-5647 in AppSpider
Summary
by MITRE
The Chrome Plugin for Rapid7 AppSpider can incorrectly keep browser sessions active after recording a macro, even after a restart of the Chrome browser. This behavior could make future session hijacking attempts easier, since the user could believe a session was closed when it was not. This issue affects Rapid7 AppSpider version 3.8.213 and prior versions, and is fixed in version 3.8.215.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2019-5647 represents a critical session management flaw within the Chrome Plugin for Rapid7 AppSpider, a security testing tool used for web application security assessments. This issue stems from improper handling of browser session states during macro recording operations, creating a persistent security risk that undermines the fundamental principles of secure session termination. The flaw specifically affects versions of AppSpider up to and including 3.8.213, with the vulnerability being addressed in version 3.8.215. The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the plugin's failure to properly clean up or invalidate browser session tokens and cookies when macro recording concludes, particularly when the Chrome browser is subsequently restarted. This behavior directly violates security best practices for session management and creates an attack surface that adversaries could exploit to maintain unauthorized access to web applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the plugin's inadequate session cleanup mechanisms during macro recording operations. When users record macros within the AppSpider plugin, the system should properly terminate all active browser sessions and clear session identifiers to prevent unauthorized continuation of those sessions. However, the plugin fails to properly invalidate session tokens and cookies, allowing these identifiers to persist in the browser environment even after the application has been closed and reopened. This persistence occurs because the plugin does not fully integrate with Chrome's session management system to ensure complete session termination, creating a scenario where session data remains accessible to subsequent browsing activities. The flaw essentially creates a false sense of security for users who believe their sessions have been properly closed, while maintaining active session state that could be leveraged by attackers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session persistence, creating significant risks for organizations conducting security assessments and penetration testing activities. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to perform session hijacking attacks against web applications that were previously tested using the vulnerable plugin, as the persistent session tokens could be reused to gain unauthorized access to user accounts or administrative functions. This vulnerability particularly affects security professionals who rely on the plugin for automated testing, as it undermines the integrity of their security assessments and creates potential attack vectors that were not anticipated during the testing process. The issue also impacts the principle of least privilege, as users may inadvertently maintain elevated access levels to applications they believe they have properly logged out of, creating potential data exposure scenarios.
Security mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate plugin version updates to 3.8.215 or later, which addresses the core session management flaw through improved cleanup procedures and proper session termination mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of browser session states during security testing activities and establish procedures for manually verifying session cleanup after macro recording operations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-613, which addresses insufficient session termination, and represents a specific implementation weakness in the ATT&CK framework's credential access techniques, particularly those involving session hijacking and credential reuse. System administrators should also consider implementing browser security policies that restrict plugin capabilities and enforce stricter session management practices, while security teams should ensure that all testing environments properly isolate session data to prevent cross-contamination between different testing activities. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper session management in security tools and highlights the potential for legitimate security software to create unintended attack vectors when not properly designed with security principles in mind.