CVE-2023-4096 in Arconte Áurea
Summary
by MITRE • 09/19/2023
Weak password recovery mechanism vulnerability in Fujitsu Arconte Áurea version 1.5.0.0, which exploitation could allow an attacker to perform a brute force attack on the emailed PIN number in order to change the password of a legitimate user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4096 represents a critical weakness in the password recovery mechanism of Fujitsu Arconte Áurea version 1.5.0.0, exposing the system to unauthorized account access through brute force attacks. This flaw specifically targets the email-based PIN verification process that legitimate users must complete to reset their passwords, creating a significant security gap that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. The vulnerability stems from insufficient rate limiting and validation controls during the PIN verification phase, allowing attackers to repeatedly attempt different PIN combinations without effective detection or prevention mechanisms. The weakness directly violates security best practices for authentication systems and creates a pathway for credential stuffing and account takeover attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the lack of proper account lockout mechanisms, insufficient delay between authentication attempts, and inadequate monitoring of suspicious activity patterns during password recovery operations. Attackers can systematically test PIN values through automated scripts, exploiting the absence of intelligent throttling controls that would normally prevent rapid successive attempts. This weakness is categorized under CWE-307, which addresses inadequate account lockout mechanisms, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for Brute Force Attacks targeting credential access. The system fails to implement proper session management and authentication attempt tracking, allowing malicious actors to consume the PIN verification window without detection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual account compromise, potentially enabling broader system infiltration and data breaches within organizations using Fujitsu Arconte Áurea. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information, disruption of business operations, and potential compliance violations under data protection regulations. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the authentication system, undermining user trust and potentially exposing the entire user base to cascading security incidents. Organizations may face reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and increased cybersecurity risk exposure due to this weakness in their authentication infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-4096 should prioritize immediate implementation of rate limiting controls, mandatory delays between PIN verification attempts, and comprehensive monitoring of authentication patterns for suspicious behavior. Security patches should address the core flaw by implementing proper account lockout mechanisms and ensuring that the system can detect and prevent brute force attacks during password recovery processes. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication as a compensating control, utilizing additional verification methods beyond email PINs to strengthen authentication security. Network-level protections including intrusion detection systems and automated threat response mechanisms should be deployed to monitor for exploitation attempts and provide real-time alerts when suspicious authentication patterns are detected. The remediation approach must align with NIST SP 800-63B guidelines for authentication and access control, ensuring that the system meets established security requirements for protecting user credentials and maintaining system integrity.