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CVE-2018-3822: Elastic X Pack: Improper Authentication

CVE-2018-3822 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 and affects Elastic X Pack. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available.

Vulnerability description

X-Pack Security versions 6.2.0, 6.2.1, and 6.2.2 are vulnerable to a user impersonation attack via incorrect XML canonicalization and DOM traversal. An attacker might have been able to impersonate a legitimate user if the SAML Identity Provider allows for self registration with arbitrary identifiers and the attacker can register an account which an identifier that shares a suffix with a legitimate account. Both of those conditions must be true in order to exploit this flaw.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v3.1 9.8: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
  • Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
  • Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
  • User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
  • Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
  • Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
  • Availability impact: High. Total loss of availability; the component can be shut down.

Underlying weakness

CWE-287: Improper Authentication

When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.

CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory

The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.

Affected products

  • Elastic X Pack: 6.2.0; 6.2.1; 6.2.2

References