CVE-2023-40179 in Games
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2023
Silverware Games is a premium social network where people can play games online. Prior to version 1.3.6, the Password Recovery form would throw an error if the specified email was not found in our database. It would only display the "Enter the code" form if the email is associated with a member of the site. Since version 1.3.6, the "Enter the code" form is always returned, showing the message "If the entered email is associated with an account, a code will be sent now". This change prevents potential violators from determining if our site has a user with the specified email.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2023-40179 represents a classic information disclosure issue within the password recovery mechanism of Silverware Games social network platform. This flaw falls under the category of insecure direct object reference and information leakage vulnerabilities, specifically addressing how the system responds to user input during authentication recovery processes. The vulnerability stems from the application's inconsistent behavior in handling non-existent email addresses during password reset requests, creating a potential attack vector for malicious actors seeking to enumerate valid user accounts.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's response handling logic where prior to version 1.3.6, the system would provide different responses based on whether an email address existed in the database. This differential response behavior created a clear signal that could be exploited by attackers to determine which email addresses were registered with the platform. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-200, which describes information exposure through improper error handling and response differentiation. Attackers could systematically test email addresses and observe the different error messages or response patterns to build a list of valid user accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account enumeration, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the authentication recovery system. An attacker could leverage this weakness to conduct targeted attacks against specific user accounts, potentially leading to account takeover attempts or social engineering campaigns. The vulnerability also exposes the platform to automated enumeration attacks where bots could rapidly test email addresses to identify valid registrations. This type of attack aligns with techniques documented in the ATT&CK framework under T1589, which covers credential access through account discovery and reconnaissance activities.
The security improvement implemented in version 1.3.6 addresses the core issue by standardizing the response behavior regardless of whether an email address exists in the database. This change ensures that all password recovery requests receive identical responses, preventing attackers from distinguishing between valid and invalid email addresses through the recovery interface. The mitigation approach follows established security best practices for implementing secure authentication mechanisms and aligns with defensive strategies outlined in the OWASP Authentication Cheat Sheet. The implementation effectively neutralizes the information disclosure threat while maintaining the functionality of the password recovery system for legitimate users.
The fix demonstrates proper security engineering principles by ensuring that the system's responses remain constant and do not leak information about the underlying data state. This approach prevents attackers from using the password recovery form as an information-gathering tool while preserving the legitimate functionality of the service. The change also reinforces the principle of least information disclosure, ensuring that only necessary information is revealed during authentication processes. This vulnerability highlights the importance of consistent error handling and response management in security-critical applications, particularly those handling user authentication data and personal information.