CVE-2020-23178 in PHP-Fusion
Summary
by MITRE • 07/03/2021
An issue exists in PHP-Fusion 9.03.50 where session cookies are not deleted once a user logs out, allowing for an attacker to perform a session replay attack and impersonate the victim user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2020-23178 represents a critical session management flaw in PHP-Fusion version 9.03.50 that directly compromises user authentication security. This issue stems from improper session handling during the logout process, where the application fails to properly invalidate or delete session cookies from the client-side browser. The flaw creates a persistent security risk that persists even after legitimate user logout, allowing unauthorized parties to maintain access to compromised accounts. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability directly violates fundamental principles of secure session management and authentication controls that are essential for protecting user credentials and maintaining system integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the application layer where PHP-Fusion fails to execute proper session termination procedures during user logout. When a user logs out, the system should invalidate the current session identifier and ensure that any associated session cookies are removed from the client browser. However, in this case, the session cookies remain active in the user's browser, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to capture these cookies through various means such as network sniffing, cross-site scripting attacks, or by exploiting other vulnerabilities. The persistence of these cookies enables what is known as session replay attacks, where an attacker can reuse valid session identifiers to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to their accounts and associated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, creating significant risks for both individual users and the organization running the PHP-Fusion application. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform account takeover attacks, access sensitive user data, modify content, or conduct fraudulent activities using compromised user credentials. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates silently without alerting users to the compromise, making detection difficult and potentially allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to systems. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-613 as "Insufficient Session Expiration" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1563.002 for "Access Token Manipulation" in the context of credential access and privilege escalation.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including updating to PHP-Fusion versions that address this session management flaw, implementing proper session invalidation procedures, and deploying additional security controls such as secure cookie attributes, HttpOnly flags, and SameSite policies. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their web applications to identify similar session management vulnerabilities, establish monitoring for suspicious session activity, and educate users about the importance of logging out completely from web applications. The remediation process must ensure that all session cookies are properly destroyed upon logout and that the application enforces strict session expiration policies to prevent unauthorized access and maintain the integrity of user authentication mechanisms.