openfire: Improper Check for Dropped Privileges
CVE-2024-25420 is a high-severity improper check for dropped privileges vulnerability in openfire from Igniterealtime, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.2 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. Affected openfire versions: 4.9.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 6.46% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is in the top 6.15% of all scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of openfire you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igniterealtime | openfire | 4.9.0 | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CISA (ADP).
Official description
An issue in Ignite Realtime Openfire before 4.8.1 allows a remote attacker to escalate privileges via the admin.authorizedJIDs system property component.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Check for Dropped Privileges
The product attempts to drop privileges but does not check or incorrectly checks to see if the drop succeeded.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Compartmentalize the system to have safe areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
- Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is expected.
- In Windows, make sure that the process token has the SeImpersonatePrivilege(Microsoft Server 2003). Code that relies on impersonation for security must ensure that the impersonation succeeded, i.e., that a proper privilege demotion happened.
More Improper Check for Dropped Privileges vulnerabilities (CWE-273)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Technical write-ups (may include proof of concept)
- hackthebox.com/blog/openfire-cves-explained-CVE-2024-25420-CVE-2024-25421Exploit, Third Party Advisory
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in openfire
- 7.5 High severity
Ignite Realtime Openfire Path Traversal Exploited
Recent Improper Check for Dropped Privileges vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.