CVE-2019-12419: Potential session hijack in Apache CXF

Background

Apache CXF is a popular open-source web services framework that allows developers to build and deploy services using various protocols and data formats. It provides all the necessary components to create a fully-fledged OpenId Connect service. OpenId Connect is an authentication protocol that allows users to log in to multiple websites using a single set of credentials. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in Apache CXF that could potentially lead to session hijacking.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in Apache CXF exists in the access token services. When a client requests an access token, the service does not properly validate that the authenticated principal is the same as the client ID specified in the request. This means that if a malicious client manages to steal an authorization code issued to another client, they can exploit this vulnerability to obtain an access token for the victim client. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information or actions on behalf of the victim client.

Workaround

As a temporary workaround, developers can implement additional checks in their code to validate the authenticated principal against the client ID. This can be done by comparing the authenticated principal with the client ID specified in the request and rejecting the request if they do not match. Here is an example of how this can be done in Java:

// Get the authenticated principal
Principal authenticatedPrincipal = request.getUserPrincipal();

// Get the client ID from the request
String clientId = request.getParameter("clientId");

// Validate the authenticated principal against the client ID
if (!authenticatedPrincipal.getName().equals(clientId)) {
    // Reject the request
    throw new SecurityException("Invalid client ID");
}

This code snippet demonstrates how to compare the authenticated principal with the client ID and reject the request if they are not equal. Developers should integrate this check into their existing codebase to mitigate the vulnerability until they can upgrade to a secure version of Apache CXF.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Apache CXF versions before 3.3.4 and 3.2.11 are vulnerable to a session hijacking vulnerability in the access token services. This vulnerability can be exploited by a malicious client who steals an authorization code issued to another client. To mitigate the risk, it is recommended to upgrade to the latest secure version of Apache CXF and implement additional checks in the code to validate the authenticated principal against the client ID. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

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