CVE-2020-24876 in Pancake
Summary
by MITRE
Use of a hard-coded cryptographic key in Pancake versions < 4.13.29 allows an attacker to forge session cookies, which may lead to remote privilege escalation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-24876 represents a critical security flaw in the Pancake platform affecting versions prior to 4.13.29. This issue stems from the improper implementation of cryptographic security measures where a hard-coded key is embedded within the application code, creating a fundamental weakness that undermines the entire authentication and session management system. The presence of such a hardcoded cryptographic key violates established security principles and creates a significant attack surface for malicious actors seeking to compromise system integrity.
The technical flaw manifests through the use of a static cryptographic key that remains unchanged across all installations and deployments of the vulnerable Pancake versions. This hardcoded key serves as the foundation for session cookie generation and validation processes, allowing attackers to predict and reconstruct valid session tokens without requiring legitimate authentication credentials. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-327, which addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms and improper key management practices. When an attacker successfully identifies or extracts this hard-coded key through reverse engineering or other means, they can generate arbitrary session cookies that will be accepted by the application as legitimate, effectively bypassing all session-based security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential remote privilege escalation scenarios. Attackers leveraging this weakness can not only impersonate legitimate users but also potentially escalate their privileges within the system, depending on the underlying architecture and access controls implemented. This capability significantly amplifies the damage potential, as it allows adversaries to move laterally within the network and access sensitive data or system resources that would normally be protected by proper authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability's impact is further compounded by its persistence across different environments and deployments, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant or large-scale deployments where a single compromised key could affect numerous users and systems simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-24876 require immediate implementation of proper cryptographic key management practices and system updates. Organizations must upgrade to Pancake version 4.13.29 or later, which addresses the hardcoded key issue through dynamic key generation and proper cryptographic implementation. The remediation process should include comprehensive key rotation procedures, implementation of secure key storage mechanisms, and adherence to industry standards such as NIST SP 800-57 for cryptographic key management. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough code reviews to identify any other instances of hardcoded cryptographic materials and implement automated scanning tools to detect similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The fix should also incorporate proper session management practices that align with OWASP Top Ten security recommendations and ATT&CK framework techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation, ensuring that session tokens are generated using secure random number generators and that key material is properly protected through access controls and encryption mechanisms.