CVE-2025-6533 in novel-plus
Summary
by MITRE • 06/24/2025
A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in xxyopen/201206030 novel-plus up to 5.1.3. Affected by this issue is the function ajaxLogin of the file novel-admin/src/main/java/com/java2nb/system/controller/LoginController.java of the component CATCHA Handler. The manipulation leads to authentication bypass by capture-replay. The attack may be launched remotely. The complexity of an attack is rather high. The exploitation is known to be difficult. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2025
CVE-2025-6533 represents a critical authentication bypass vulnerability affecting the novel-plus application version 5.1.3 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the ajaxLogin function of the LoginController.java file, specifically within the CATCHA Handler component. The flaw enables attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms through capture-replay attacks, where session tokens or authentication credentials can be intercepted and reused to gain unauthorized access to the system. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability significantly expands its attack surface, allowing adversaries to target the application from external networks without requiring physical access to the system infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate session management and insufficient validation of authentication tokens within the CATCHA Handler component. When users attempt to log in through the ajaxLogin function, the system fails to properly validate the authenticity of captured authentication data, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to replay previously captured session information. This weakness directly maps to CWE-305 Authentication Bypass by Capture-Replay, which specifically addresses scenarios where authentication mechanisms can be circumvented through the reuse of captured credentials or tokens. The attack complexity is elevated due to the need for sophisticated interception techniques and the requirement to understand the specific session handling mechanisms within the application's authentication flow.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it allows unauthorized users to bypass the entire authentication system and gain administrative access to the novel-plus application. This could result in complete system compromise, data theft, unauthorized modifications to the application content, and potential lateral movement within the network if the application shares resources with other systems. The fact that exploitation is considered difficult and requires advanced techniques does not diminish the critical nature of the vulnerability, as skilled attackers with sufficient resources can still leverage this weakness effectively. The public disclosure of the exploit without vendor response indicates a significant security gap in the application's maintenance and security response protocols.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust session management practices including proper session token generation, validation, and expiration mechanisms. The CATCHA Handler component requires immediate review and enhancement to ensure that authentication tokens cannot be replayed successfully. Security measures should include implementing unique session identifiers for each authentication attempt, adding time-based validation to tokens, and implementing rate limiting to prevent automated replay attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication and monitoring for suspicious login patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and session handling as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework's credential access techniques, specifically targeting the use of stolen credentials and authentication bypass methods that leverage session management weaknesses.