CVE-2024-5322 in N-central
Summary
by MITRE • 07/02/2024
The N-central server is vulnerable to session rebinding of already authenticated users when using Entra SSO, which can lead to authentication bypass. This vulnerability is present in all Entra-supported deployments of N-central prior to 2024.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-5322 affects the N-central server implementation of Microsoft Entra SSO authentication mechanisms, creating a critical session management flaw that enables unauthorized access to authenticated user sessions. This issue specifically impacts organizations using Entra SSO for authentication within their N-central deployments, where the system fails to properly validate session binding between the user's authenticated state and the underlying authentication context. The flaw represents a significant weakness in the server's session handling logic that directly undermines the security assurances provided by the SSO implementation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper session rebinding mechanism within the N-central server's authentication flow when integrated with Entra SSO. When users authenticate through Entra SSO, the server should maintain strict binding between the user's session identifier and the authentication context established during the initial login process. However, the vulnerable implementation allows for session tokens to be reused or rebound to different user contexts without proper validation, creating an authentication bypass opportunity. This flaw typically manifests when the server fails to validate that the session token remains associated with the originally authenticated user, enabling malicious actors to potentially hijack active sessions or impersonate legitimate users within the N-central environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-5322 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited by attackers with minimal privileges to escalate their access within the network. Organizations deploying N-central with Entra SSO are at risk of unauthorized administrative access, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within their infrastructure. The vulnerability's presence across all Entra-supported deployments prior to version 2024.3 indicates a widespread exposure affecting numerous enterprise environments that may have been operating with a false sense of security regarding their SSO implementation. This authentication bypass capability directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper session management, potentially allowing attackers to gain access to sensitive network monitoring and management functions.
Security controls and mitigation strategies should focus on immediate deployment of the vendor-provided patch for N-central version 2024.3 or later, which addresses the session rebinding flaw through proper session validation mechanisms. Organizations should implement additional monitoring for unusual authentication patterns and session activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-384, which addresses session binding issues in authentication systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through SSO exploitation. Network segmentation and multi-factor authentication controls should be strengthened as compensating measures while awaiting patch deployment. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of all Entra SSO integrations within their environment to identify potential exploitation indicators and ensure proper session management controls are in place to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other authentication systems.