CVE-2021-33394 in CubeCart
Summary
by MITRE • 05/28/2021
Cubecart 6.4.2 allows Session Fixation. The application does not generate a new session cookie after the user is logged in. A malicious user is able to create a new session cookie value and inject it to a victim. After the victim logs in, the injected cookie becomes valid, giving the attacker access to the user's account through the active session.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-33394 represents a critical session management flaw in Cubecart version 6.4.2 that directly impacts application security and user authentication integrity. This issue stems from improper session handling mechanisms within the web application's authentication flow, where the system fails to regenerate session identifiers upon successful user login. The root cause lies in the application's failure to implement proper session regeneration practices, which creates a persistent security weakness that can be exploited by malicious actors to hijack user sessions.
Session fixation attacks exploit the fundamental principle that session identifiers should change upon successful authentication to prevent attackers from maintaining access to user accounts. In this specific case, the vulnerability allows an attacker to establish a session with a known session identifier before the victim authenticates, then injects this identifier into the victim's browser session. This technique violates security best practices outlined in owasp top ten and cwe-384, which specifically address session management weaknesses and the dangers of predictable session identifiers. The flaw operates through the application's session cookie handling mechanism, where session identifiers remain static rather than being regenerated after successful authentication, creating a persistent attack vector that can be exploited across multiple user sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account compromise, as it enables attackers to maintain persistent access to user accounts without requiring additional authentication credentials. This creates a significant risk for e-commerce environments where user accounts contain sensitive personal information, transaction history, and potentially payment details. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform unauthorized transactions, access private user data, and maintain long-term access to compromised accounts. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal technical expertise to execute and can be automated, making it a high-value target for threat actors seeking to exploit e-commerce platforms. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the attack pattern taxonomy under the category of session management attacks and can be classified as a persistent access vector that undermines the authentication integrity of the application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must focus on implementing proper session management practices that adhere to established security standards and industry best practices. Organizations should immediately implement session regeneration upon successful authentication, ensuring that new session identifiers are generated and securely transmitted to the client after login completion. The implementation should follow the principle of least privilege and incorporate secure session handling mechanisms that prevent session fixation attacks. Security measures should include enforcing secure cookie attributes such as httponly, secure, and samesite flags to prevent cross-site scripting attacks that could compound the vulnerability. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that session management mechanisms are properly implemented and functioning as intended, while also monitoring for unauthorized session activity that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper session management as outlined in the owasp session management cheat sheet and represents a classic example of how inadequate session handling can create persistent security weaknesses in web applications.