CVE-2013-4347: Weak Random Number Generation in oauth2
Summary
CVE-2013-4347: SimpleGeo python-oauth2 vulnerable to the use of Insufficiently Random Values to generate nonces. Affects oauth2 versions < 1.9rc1. Fixed in 1.9rc1. How to fix ↓
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Background
The oauth2 package is a Python library that provides support for OAuth 1.0 and 2.0 authentication protocols. It allows developers to integrate OAuth functionality into their applications, enabling secure authorization and authentication with various service providers. However, a vulnerability has been identified in the package's implementation of nonce generation, which can lead to weak random number generation.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability exists in the make_nonce, generate_nonce, and generate_verifier functions of the oauth2 package. These functions use weak random numbers to generate nonces, making it easier for remote attackers to guess the nonce through brute force attacks. This can potentially compromise the security of the OAuth authentication process and allow unauthorized access to protected resources.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
1.9rc1
This is the first release that contains the fix.
pip install --upgrade "oauth2==1.9rc1"Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no specific workaround provided for this vulnerability. However, users can mitigate the risk by updating the oauth2 package to the recommended version as mentioned in the 'how_to_fix' section.
Conclusion
The oauth2 package is vulnerable to weak random number generation in nonce generation, which can be exploited by remote attackers to guess nonces and potentially gain unauthorized access to protected resources. To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the package to version 1.9rc1 or later. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for oauth2 →
FAQ
The vulnerability allows remote attackers to guess nonces used in the OAuth authentication process, potentially leading to unauthorized access to protected resources.
You can use the Vulert Playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability. Simply provide your Pipfile.lock file, and Vulert will analyze it for any open-source vulnerabilities, including this one.
There are no known public exploits available for this vulnerability at the time of this report. However, it is still crucial to address the issue promptly to prevent potential unauthorized access.
There are alternative OAuth libraries and packages available in the Python ecosystem, such as oauthlib and requests-oauthlib. Consider evaluating these alternatives if you require OAuth functionality and want to avoid the vulnerability in oauth2.
You can find more information about this vulnerability, including its technical details and the fix, in the advisory database of the Python Package Index (PyPI) at https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/blob/main/vulns/oauth2/PYSEC-2014-86.yaml.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for oauth2.
