CVE-2020-4966 in Security Identity Governance and Intelligence
Summary
by MITRE • 01/21/2021
IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence 5.2.6 does not set the secure attribute on authorization tokens or session cookies. Attackers may be able to get the cookie values by sending a http:// link to a user or by planting this link in a site the user goes to. The cookie will be sent to the insecure link and the attacker can then obtain the cookie value by snooping the traffic. IBM X-Force ID: 192423.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-4966 affects IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence version 5.2.6, representing a critical security flaw in session management practices. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly configure session cookies with the secure attribute, which is a fundamental requirement for protecting sensitive authentication data in web applications. The vulnerability creates a pathway for man-in-the-middle attacks and session hijacking scenarios where attackers can intercept and exploit session tokens transmitted over unencrypted HTTP connections.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's cookie handling mechanism where authorization tokens and session cookies are generated without the secure flag being set. This means that cookies containing sensitive session information are transmitted over both HTTP and HTTPS connections, making them susceptible to interception when users navigate to malicious websites or when attackers can influence traffic routing. The vulnerability specifically impacts the secure attribute of cookies, which is defined under CWE-614 as "Sensitive Cookie in HTTPS Session Without 'Secure' Flag" and represents a direct violation of secure coding practices for session management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to conduct passive network surveillance and traffic interception attacks. An attacker can craft malicious links or embed them within compromised websites to capture session cookies when users navigate to these pages. The attack vector involves sending HTTP links to victims or embedding these links within web pages that users visit, allowing the attacker to capture cookie values through network traffic snooping. This creates a persistent threat where session hijacking can occur without requiring active exploitation or sophisticated attack techniques, making it particularly dangerous for environments handling sensitive identity and access management data.
The security implications extend beyond simple session theft to encompass potential privilege escalation and unauthorized access to enterprise identity systems. When combined with other attack techniques, this vulnerability can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to privileged user accounts and potentially compromise the entire identity governance infrastructure. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for Phishing and T1571 for Redirect Attack, as it enables attackers to manipulate user sessions through malicious link delivery. Organizations using this software face increased risk of unauthorized access to sensitive identity data, potential data breaches, and compromise of access control mechanisms that are fundamental to enterprise security posture.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate configuration changes to ensure all session cookies are properly marked with the secure attribute when transmitted over HTTPS connections. Organizations should implement mandatory HTTPS enforcement across all application interfaces and ensure that session management configurations comply with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and OWASP Top Ten. The recommended fix involves modifying the application's cookie generation logic to automatically include the secure flag for all session tokens, while also implementing additional security measures such as SameSite cookie attributes and proper session timeout mechanisms. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that all session management components properly enforce secure transmission protocols and that no similar vulnerabilities exist within the application's authentication framework.