CVE-2024-49779 in OpenPages with Watson
Summary
by MITRE • 02/20/2025
IBM OpenPages with Watson 8.3 and 9.0 IBM OpenPages
could allow a remote attacker to bypass security restrictions, caused by improper validation and management of authentication cookies. By modifying the CSRF token and Session Id cookie parameters using the cookies of another user, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to bypass security restrictions and gain unauthorized access to the vulnerable application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2025
This vulnerability in IBM OpenPages with Watson version 8.3 and 9.0 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that directly compromises the application's security controls. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the session management system, specifically targeting the handling of cross-site request forgery tokens and session identifier cookies. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating cookie values to impersonate legitimate users, effectively circumventing the authentication mechanisms that should protect application access. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture where session tokens are not properly validated or tied to specific user contexts, creating an avenue for unauthorized privilege escalation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of HTTP cookies that contain session identifiers and CSRF tokens, which are typically designed to ensure that requests originate from authenticated users and prevent cross-site request forgery attacks. When the application fails to validate that these tokens correspond to legitimate user sessions, an attacker can extract valid cookie values from one user's session and inject them into requests targeting another user's session. This improper cookie validation creates a condition where session hijacking becomes trivial, as the system accepts manipulated cookies without proper verification of their authenticity or user association. The vulnerability specifically impacts the session management component of the application's security infrastructure, undermining the core principle of user isolation and access control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to potentially escalate privileges and access sensitive data within the IBM OpenPages environment. Organizations using this platform may face serious consequences including data breaches, unauthorized modifications to business records, and potential compromise of the entire application ecosystem. The vulnerability affects critical business applications that handle sensitive corporate information, making it particularly dangerous for financial services, compliance management, and enterprise governance systems. The ease of exploitation through cookie manipulation means that attackers with minimal technical skills can potentially gain access to restricted functionalities and data within the application.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust session validation mechanisms that verify the integrity and authenticity of session tokens and CSRF tokens. Organizations should ensure that session identifiers are properly bound to user contexts and that tokens are validated against expected values rather than simply accepted from client requests. The implementation of proper session management practices including secure cookie attributes, session regeneration after authentication, and comprehensive token validation should be prioritized. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as request origin validation, user activity monitoring, and regular security assessments to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-384 which addresses session fixation and improper session management, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should be maintained in all enterprise security architectures. The ATT&CK framework would classify this as a privilege escalation technique through session manipulation, emphasizing the need for comprehensive session security controls within enterprise applications.