CVE-2022-23172 in Priority
Summary
by MITRE • 07/06/2022
An attacker can access to "Forgot my password" button, as soon as he puts users is valid in the system, the system would issue a message that a password reset email had been sent to user. This way you can verify which users are in the system and which are not.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2022
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw that directly violates fundamental security principles of user account validation and privacy protection. The issue manifests in systems where the password reset functionality lacks proper input validation and account enumeration controls, allowing unauthorized actors to determine the existence of legitimate user accounts within the system. This type of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-204, which specifically addresses information exposure through improper error handling, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001 for account discovery through credential access methods.
The technical flaw exploits the design assumption that password reset mechanisms should only confirm account existence after successful authentication or verification. However, in this case, the system immediately responds with a password reset confirmation message regardless of whether the user account actually exists in the database. This behavior creates a clear attack surface where malicious actors can systematically test usernames against the password reset endpoint to build a comprehensive list of valid users within the system. The vulnerability essentially functions as an account enumeration mechanism that bypasses normal authentication controls and provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data for subsequent attack phases.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to conduct targeted credential stuffing attacks, brute force attempts, and social engineering campaigns with significantly higher success rates. Once an attacker has compiled a list of valid usernames, they can focus their efforts on specific accounts rather than conducting random attacks against the entire user base. This vulnerability directly enables reconnaissance activities that would otherwise be difficult or impossible without such information, making it a critical concern for organizations that rely on user authentication systems for security controls. The ability to enumerate users creates a foundation for privilege escalation attacks and can lead to more severe consequences including full system compromise.
Effective mitigations for this vulnerability require implementing proper account enumeration controls that provide consistent responses regardless of account existence. Organizations should implement rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms to prevent automated enumeration attempts, while ensuring that password reset endpoints return identical responses for both existing and non-existing accounts. The implementation should follow security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-63B for authentication and account management, and should incorporate techniques such as randomized response times and consistent error messaging to prevent information leakage. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication and monitoring for suspicious enumeration patterns to detect and prevent abuse of this vulnerability.