CVE-2020-5539 in GRANDIT
Summary
by MITRE
GRANDIT Ver.1.6, Ver.2.0, Ver.2.1, Ver.2.2, Ver.2.3, and Ver.3.0 do not properly manage sessions, which allows remote attackers to impersonate an arbitrary user and then alter or disclose the information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-5539 affects multiple versions of GRANDIT software including versions 1.6, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, and 3.0. This issue represents a critical session management flaw that fundamentally undermines the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the affected system. The improper session handling creates a pathway for remote attackers to assume the identity of legitimate users without proper credentials, effectively bypassing the security controls that should protect user sessions and data access. This vulnerability falls under the category of weak session management as classified by CWE-613, which specifically addresses inadequate session handling that allows attackers to reuse or manipulate session tokens. The flaw enables attackers to perform unauthorized actions within the system, potentially compromising sensitive information and disrupting normal operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the software's failure to properly implement session lifecycle management protocols. When users authenticate to the GRANDIT system, the application should generate secure session identifiers that are properly validated and managed throughout the user's interaction. However, the affected versions demonstrate inadequate session token generation, validation, or expiration mechanisms that allow attackers to either predict, reuse, or manipulate session identifiers. This weakness creates a persistent threat where an attacker who gains access to a valid session token can maintain unauthorized access for extended periods or even impersonate users indefinitely. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the vulnerability may manifest through multiple attack surfaces including network-based exploitation, credential theft, or session hijacking techniques that leverage the flawed session management implementation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing affected GRANDIT versions, particularly in environments where sensitive data processing or user access control is critical. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to confidential information, modify system configurations, or perform actions as authenticated users without detection. The potential for data disclosure and modification creates serious implications for business continuity, regulatory compliance, and information security posture. Organizations may face unauthorized access to financial records, personal data, operational systems, or other sensitive information depending on the nature of their GRANDIT implementation. The remote nature of the attack vector means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, potentially bypassing traditional network security controls. This vulnerability aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the credential access and persistence domains, where attackers leverage weak session management to maintain long-term access to systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-5539 should prioritize immediate remediation through official software updates and patches provided by the vendor. Organizations must ensure all affected GRANDIT installations are upgraded to versions that properly address the session management flaws. Additionally, implementing robust session management controls including secure token generation, proper session timeout mechanisms, and session validation checks should be enforced. Network segmentation, monitoring of session-related activities, and regular security assessments can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper session handling in web applications and underscores the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication to reduce the impact of session-based attacks. Security teams must monitor for indicators of compromise related to session manipulation and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing session management vulnerabilities to ensure rapid remediation when similar issues arise in the future.