CVE-2021-36205 in Metasys ADS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/15/2022
Under certain circumstances the session token is not cleared on logout.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical session management flaw that undermines the fundamental security principles of authentication and authorization systems. The issue manifests when users attempt to terminate their sessions through the standard logout mechanism, yet the system fails to properly invalidate or clear the session token from memory or storage. This behavior creates a persistent security risk where authenticated sessions can remain active even after users believe they have logged out, effectively allowing unauthorized access to protected resources and data. The vulnerability falls under the category of improper session handling as defined by CWE-613, which specifically addresses insufficient session expiration and token invalidation mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this flaw typically occurs in web applications where session tokens are stored in cookies, local storage, or memory variables that are not properly destroyed during the logout sequence. Attackers can exploit this weakness by leveraging cached session data, browser history, or shared computing environments to regain access to previous user sessions without re-authentication. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer and can be exploited across multiple attack vectors including credential stuffing, session hijacking, and privilege escalation attacks. The flaw demonstrates a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and can enable attackers to maintain persistent access to sensitive systems and data.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-36205 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass broader security implications including data breaches, compliance violations, and potential regulatory penalties. Organizations that fail to properly address this vulnerability may experience unauthorized data access, system compromise, and loss of user trust. The vulnerability can be exploited by both internal and external threat actors, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users share systems or where session tokens are not properly secured. This flaw directly relates to the ATT&CK technique T1548.003 which covers abuse of session tokens and T1566 which covers credential harvesting, demonstrating how session management failures can enable broader attack chains.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require comprehensive session management policies and implementation practices that ensure proper token invalidation during logout operations. Organizations should implement robust session cleanup procedures that actively destroy session identifiers in all storage locations including cookies, server-side session stores, and client-side storage mechanisms. The implementation should follow secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten security recommendations and NIST guidelines for session management. Additional protective measures include implementing short session timeouts, using secure flags on session cookies, and employing multi-factor authentication to reduce the impact of session token compromise. Regular security testing and code reviews should specifically target session management components to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by threat actors.