CVE-2021-36330 in Streaming Data Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 12/01/2021
Dell EMC Streaming Data Platform versions before 1.3 contain an Insufficient Session Expiration Vulnerability. A remote unauthenticated attacker may potentially exploit this vulnerability to reuse old session artifacts to impersonate a legitimate user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-36330 affects Dell EMC Streaming Data Platform versions prior to 1.3 and represents a critical weakness in session management that directly impacts the platform's authentication security model. This issue stems from inadequate handling of session expiration mechanisms, creating a window of opportunity for malicious actors to exploit the system's authentication flow. The vulnerability specifically targets the platform's ability to properly invalidate session tokens and artifacts, allowing unauthorized users to maintain access to systems they should not be able to reach.
The technical flaw manifests in the platform's session management implementation where session artifacts remain valid beyond their intended expiration time. This occurs due to insufficient validation of session state and lack of proper cleanup mechanisms when sessions should logically end. Attackers can capture valid session tokens or artifacts during legitimate use and subsequently reuse them to impersonate authenticated users without requiring valid credentials or authentication factors. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and affects the platform's core authentication infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous as it bypasses traditional authentication controls.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations using Dell EMC Streaming Data Platform as it allows remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data and system functionality. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that no prior credentials or access are required to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly attractive to threat actors. Successful exploitation could lead to data breaches, unauthorized data processing, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the platform is deployed. The impact extends beyond immediate unauthorized access to include potential data exfiltration and system integrity compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Dell EMC Streaming Data Platform version 1.3 or later, which contains the necessary session expiration fixes. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual session reuse patterns and anomalous access behaviors. Implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication and session timeout mechanisms can provide additional defense layers. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-613, which addresses insufficient session expiration, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential harvesting through various methods including session hijacking. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify the effectiveness of implemented mitigations and ensure continued protection against similar session management vulnerabilities.