CVE-2024-3461 in KioWare
Summary
by MITRE • 05/14/2024
KioWare for Windows (versions all through 8.35) allows to brute force the PIN number, which protects the application from being closed, as there are no mechanisms preventing a user from excessively guessing the number.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/12/2025
KioWare for Windows version 8.35 and earlier contains a critical security vulnerability that allows unauthorized users to perform brute force attacks against the PIN protection mechanism designed to prevent unauthorized application closure. This vulnerability stems from the complete absence of rate limiting or account lockout mechanisms when validating PIN entries, creating an exploitable condition that enables attackers to systematically guess valid PIN combinations without restriction.
The technical flaw resides in the application's authentication logic where PIN validation occurs without any protective measures against automated guessing attacks. The system accepts unlimited PIN attempts without implementing any form of temporary lockout, delay mechanisms, or failed attempt counters that would normally be expected in secure authentication systems. This weakness directly violates established security principles and aligns with CWE-307, which addresses inadequate brute force protection mechanisms in authentication systems. The vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in access control implementation where the security boundary intended to protect the application from unauthorized closure has been completely bypassed through simple repetitive guessing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows any attacker with access to the system to potentially gain unauthorized control over the KioWare application interface. Once the PIN is successfully guessed, the attacker can close the application, potentially disrupting services or gaining access to restricted functionality that should only be available to authorized personnel. This creates a vector for service disruption attacks where malicious actors can repeatedly attempt PIN combinations until they find a valid one, effectively neutralizing the PIN protection entirely. The vulnerability also presents a risk for privilege escalation scenarios where the attacker might use the application closure capability to bypass other security controls or access restricted content through the application's interface.
Security mitigation strategies should include implementing robust rate limiting mechanisms that prevent excessive PIN attempts within a given time period, along with account lockout procedures that temporarily disable PIN validation after a predetermined number of failed attempts. The system should incorporate exponential backoff delays between authentication attempts to make brute force attacks computationally expensive and time-consuming. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms to provide additional security layers beyond the PIN protection. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to technique T1110.004 which covers credential guessing through brute force attacks, and T1566 which addresses social engineering through unauthorized access to protected systems. The implementation of these protective measures would align with NIST SP 800-63B guidelines for authentication and access control, specifically addressing the requirements for protecting against unauthorized access through authentication mechanisms.
The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper security testing during development cycles, particularly for applications that handle sensitive access controls. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include validation of authentication mechanisms to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the system. Organizations using KioWare for Windows should immediately implement temporary workarounds such as restricting physical access to the systems running the application until proper security updates are deployed to address this vulnerability. The absence of any protective mechanisms against brute force attacks in this critical access control component demonstrates a fundamental security oversight that requires immediate remediation to prevent potential exploitation by threat actors.