CVE-2023-32657 in Weincloud
Summary
by MITRE • 07/20/2023
Weintek Weincloud v0.13.6 could allow an attacker to efficiently develop a brute force attack on credentials with authentication hints from error message responses.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-32657 affects Weintek Weincloud version 0.13.6, representing a significant security weakness in the industrial automation and monitoring platform. This issue stems from the application's insufficient error handling mechanisms during authentication processes, which inadvertently provides attackers with valuable information through carefully crafted error messages. The vulnerability specifically impacts the credential validation system, where the application's response to authentication attempts reveals whether a username exists within the system, enabling attackers to conduct more effective brute force attacks. This weakness falls under the category of information disclosure through error messages, a common pattern that undermines the security of authentication systems.
The technical flaw manifests when the application processes authentication requests and responds with distinct error messages for different failure scenarios. When an attacker submits a credential combination, the system's response varies depending on whether the username is valid but incorrect password, or an invalid username altogether. This differential response behavior creates a timing and content-based information leak that can be exploited by automated tools to systematically determine valid user accounts. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-209, which addresses information exposure through error messages, and represents a clear violation of secure authentication design principles. Attackers can leverage this information to optimize their brute force attempts, reducing the computational resources and time required to compromise user accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables attackers to map out valid user accounts within the system, potentially leading to more sophisticated attacks. Industrial environments utilizing Weintek Weincloud are particularly at risk since these platforms often control critical infrastructure components, making successful authentication breaches more damaging. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill and can be automated, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to gain unauthorized access to industrial control systems. The timing aspect of the vulnerability means that attackers can rapidly iterate through username lists, using the error messages as feedback to refine their attack vectors. This characteristic significantly increases the attack surface and reduces the time window for detection and response.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-32657 should focus on implementing consistent error handling across all authentication endpoints, ensuring that all authentication failures return identical generic error messages regardless of the specific reason for failure. Organizations should implement account lockout mechanisms with exponential backoff to prevent rapid successive authentication attempts, while also deploying rate limiting to control the frequency of login attempts from individual IP addresses. The system should be updated to version 0.13.7 or later, which includes proper error handling fixes. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual authentication patterns and potential brute force attack activities. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication can provide defense-in-depth protection against credential compromise, while regular security assessments should verify that similar issues do not exist in other components of the industrial control system infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principle of least privilege in authentication system design.