CVE-2019-9510 - Improper Authentication

Severity

78%

Complexity

18%

Confidentiality

98%

A vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1803 and Windows Server 2019 and later systems can allow authenticated RDP-connected clients to gain access to user sessions without needing to interact with the Windows lock screen. Should a network anomaly trigger a temporary RDP disconnect, Automatic Reconnection of the RDP session will be restored to an unlocked state, regardless of how the remote system was left. By interrupting network connectivity of a system, an attacker with access to a system being used as a Windows RDP client can gain access to a connected remote system, regardless of whether or not the remote system was locked. This issue affects Microsoft Windows 10, version 1803 and later, and Microsoft Windows Server 2019, version 2019 and later.

A vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1803 and Windows Server 2019 and later systems can allow authenticated RDP-connected clients to gain access to user sessions without needing to interact with the Windows lock screen. Should a network anomaly trigger a temporary RDP disconnect, Automatic Reconnection of the RDP session will be restored to an unlocked state, regardless of how the remote system was left. By interrupting network connectivity of a system, an attacker with access to a system being used as a Windows RDP client can gain access to a connected remote system, regardless of whether or not the remote system was locked. This issue affects Microsoft Windows 10, version 1803 and later, and Microsoft Windows Server 2019, version 2019 and later.

CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.8. CVSS Attack Vector: local. CVSS Attack Complexity: low. CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

CVSS 2.0 Base Score 4.6. CVSS Attack Vector: local. CVSS Attack Complexity: low. CVSS Vector: (AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P).

Demo Examples

Improper Authentication

CWE-287

The following code intends to ensure that the user is already logged in. If not, the code performs authentication with the user-provided username and password. If successful, it sets the loggedin and user cookies to "remember" that the user has already logged in. Finally, the code performs administrator tasks if the logged-in user has the "Administrator" username, as recorded in the user cookie.


               
}
}
ExitError("Error: you need to log in first");
);
);
DoAdministratorTasks();

Unfortunately, this code can be bypassed. The attacker can set the cookies independently so that the code does not check the username and password. The attacker could do this with an HTTP request containing headers such as:


               
[body of request]

By setting the loggedin cookie to "true", the attacker bypasses the entire authentication check. By using the "Administrator" value in the user cookie, the attacker also gains privileges to administer the software.

Improper Authentication

CWE-287

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