CVE-2024-29401 in xzs-mysql
Summary
by MITRE • 03/26/2024
xzs-mysql 3.8 is vulnerable to Insufficient Session Expiration, which allows attackers to use the session of a deleted admin to do anything.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-29401 affects xzs-mysql version 3.8 and represents a critical insufficient session expiration flaw that compromises administrative access controls. This vulnerability resides within the session management mechanism of the MySQL database integration component, where the system fails to properly invalidate administrative sessions upon user deletion or account termination. The flaw allows unauthorized attackers to maintain access to administrative privileges through previously valid session tokens even after the corresponding administrative accounts have been removed from the system. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege and secure session handling practices that should prevent stale session exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper session invalidation procedures within the xzs-mysql component. When an administrative user account is deleted from the system, the corresponding session tokens should be immediately invalidated and removed from the active session store. However, the current implementation fails to execute this critical cleanup process, allowing session identifiers to remain valid and functional. This flaw typically manifests when the system relies on session tokens stored in memory, databases, or token caches without proper expiration mechanisms or cleanup routines that would invalidate sessions upon account termination. The vulnerability can be exploited through various means including session replay attacks, where attackers capture valid session tokens and reuse them to perform administrative actions, or through session hijacking techniques that leverage the persistence of these invalidated sessions.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-29401 is severe and potentially catastrophic for systems relying on xzs-mysql 3.8 for database administration. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can perform any administrative function available within the system, including but not limited to creating new administrative accounts, modifying database schemas, accessing sensitive data, deleting critical information, and altering system configurations. This persistent access capability undermines the entire security architecture of the affected systems and can lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability also enables attackers to maintain long-term access without detection, as the sessions remain valid even after the legitimate administrators have been removed from the system, creating a persistent backdoor that can be leveraged for extended periods.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust session management practices that ensure proper session invalidation upon user account termination. Organizations should implement immediate session invalidation mechanisms that clear all associated session tokens when administrative accounts are deleted or disabled. This includes implementing proper session cleanup routines in the database integration layer, establishing session timeout mechanisms, and ensuring that session tokens are invalidated in all storage locations including memory caches, database tables, and token stores. The implementation should follow established security frameworks such as those recommended by the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) category 613 which specifically addresses Insufficient Session Expiration, and should align with ATT&CK tactics covering privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring and alerting for unusual administrative activities that might indicate session hijacking or exploitation of this vulnerability, and should conduct regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar session management weaknesses across their database integration components.