CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-39848NVD status: Deferred

grouper: Weak Authentication

CVE-2024-39848 is a critical-severity weak authentication vulnerability in grouper from Internet2, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 5.6 as the first without the flaw, so updating grouper to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.44% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Update grouper to 5.6 or a later version.
  2. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Internet2grouperbefore 5.65.6

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
NoneNo account or login is needed.
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
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by CISA (ADP).

Official description

Internet2 Grouper before 5.6 allows authentication bypass when LDAP authentication is used in certain ways. This is related to internet2.middleware.grouper.ws.security.WsGrouperLdapAuthentication and the use of the UyY29r password for the M3vwHr account. This also affects "Grouper for Web Services" before 4.13.1.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Weak Authentication

The product uses an authentication mechanism to restrict access to specific users or identities, but the mechanism does not sufficiently prove that the claimed identity is correct.

More Weak Authentication vulnerabilities (CWE-1390)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in grouper

All grouper vulnerabilities

Recent Weak Authentication vulnerabilities

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