CVE-2023-4659 in free5GC
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability, whose exploitation could allow an attacker to perform different actions on the platform as an administrator, simply by changing the token value to "admin". It is also possible to perform POST, GET and DELETE requests without any token value. Therefore, an unprivileged remote user is able to create, delete and modify users within theapplication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2023
This cross-site request forgery vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of authentication mechanisms within the targeted platform. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request parameters, specifically allowing attackers to manipulate token values to assume administrative privileges. When an attacker modifies the token value to "admin", the system fails to properly authenticate this request, creating a path for unauthorized privilege escalation. The flaw extends beyond simple token manipulation, as the system also accepts POST, GET, and DELETE requests without any token validation, effectively eliminating the primary security barrier that should protect administrative functions. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which defines cross-site request forgery as a condition where the application fails to verify that requests originate from legitimate sources, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers valid accounts used for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it grants unprivileged remote users the ability to perform administrative functions without proper authorization. Attackers can exploit this weakness to create new user accounts, delete existing users, modify user permissions, and potentially gain persistent access to the system. The ability to perform these actions through simple parameter manipulation makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it requires minimal technical expertise to exploit. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond immediate user manipulation to potentially compromise the entire system's integrity, as unauthorized users could alter critical system configurations or exfiltrate sensitive data. The lack of token validation across multiple HTTP methods (POST, GET, DELETE) amplifies the risk, as attackers can leverage any of these methods to execute malicious actions without detection.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust token validation mechanisms and enforcing proper authentication checks for all administrative functions. The system must validate token values against legitimate administrative credentials and reject any requests that attempt to bypass authentication through simple parameter manipulation. Implementing anti-CSRF tokens that are tied to specific user sessions and validated server-side would prevent attackers from using static values like "admin" to gain unauthorized access. Organizations should also implement proper input validation to ensure that all requests contain valid authentication tokens before processing administrative operations. Additionally, the system should enforce strict access controls and audit all administrative actions to detect unauthorized activities. Security measures should include rate limiting for authentication attempts, session management improvements, and regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application. The implementation of these controls aligns with security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 requirements for access control and authentication management, ensuring compliance with industry standards for protecting against privilege escalation attacks.