A critical vulnerability, CVE-2024-43441, has been discovered in Apache HugeGraph-Server, a highly scalable graph database management system. This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication and expose sensitive data or perform unauthorized actions on affected systems. This issue impacts all Apache HugeGraph-Server versions from 1.. to just before 1.5.. Users are advised to upgrade to HugeGraph-Server 1.5. immediately to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Details

The CVE-2024-43441 vulnerability is an Authentication Bypass by Assumed-Immutable Data attack, which essentially means that the assumed unchangeable data of HugeGraph-Server is exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access and perform malicious activities. When a user authenticates to the HugeGraph-Server, the server may rely on certain properties of the user's data (such as username, password, tokens) that it assumes will not change. If these data properties are mutable, attackers can bypass the authentication mechanism by altering these properties.

In Apache HugeGraph-Server, an attacker can use this vulnerability to tamper with authentication data and bypass authentication checks. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker can access, modify, or delete sensitive information stored in the HugeGraph-Server without proper authorization.

Proof of Concept Exploit

A simple example of exploiting this vulnerability is altering the user's token data. Imagine the following scenario:

1. A user logs into the HugeGraph-Server with their username/password, which generates an authentication token.

The server trusts the authentication token as long as it matches the one stored in its database.

3. An attacker exploits this vulnerability by changing the user's token data, effectively bypassing the server's authentication mechanism.

Here's a code snippet showcasing the potential exploit

# Authenticate as a normal user
auth_data = authenticate(username, password)
token = auth_data["token"]

# Malicious alteration of token data
tampered_token = tamper_token(token)

# Exploit authentication bypass 
bypass_authentication(tampered_token)

It is critical to patch this vulnerability to prevent unauthorized access and protect sensitive data stored in Apache HugeGraph-Server instances.

Official References and Patch Information

- CVE-2024-43441 was reported to Apache on {date}. The patch for this vulnerability is released as part of HugeGraph-Server version 1.5.. Users running older versions of Apache HugeGraph-Server should update immediately to version 1.5. or later. Further details can be found in the official Apache security advisory: Apache HugeGraph-Server Advisory

- To download HugeGraph-Server 1.5. or later, visit the official release page: Apache HugeGraph-Server Releases

Conclusion

The authentication bypass by assumed-immutable data vulnerability (CVE-2024-43441) in Apache HugeGraph-Server is a critical issue that puts affected systems and sensitive data at risk. Users should upgrade immediately to HugeGraph-Server 1.5. or later to mitigate the threat. Following safe practices and keeping software up-to-date can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Timeline

Published on: 12/24/2024 12:15:21 UTC
Last modified on: 12/31/2024 19:15:46 UTC