CVE-2025-24859 - Apache Roller Session Management Vulnerability in Versions Before 6.1.5

Overview

A session management vulnerability (CVE-2025-24859) exists in Apache Roller before version 6.1.5 which allows for continued access to the application, even after password changes. This can potentially lead to unauthorized access if user credentials are compromised. The vulnerability affects Apache Roller versions up to and including 6.1.4. The issue is resolved in Apache Roller 6.1.5 by implementing centralized session management, which properly invalidates all active sessions when passwords are changed or users are disabled.

Exploit Details

The session management vulnerability in Apache Roller stems from the inability to invalidate existing user sessions when a user's password is changed. As a result, an attacker who gained access to a user's session could continue to access the Roller application even after the user's password has been changed.

A typical scenario would be if an attacker gained access to a user's session through a phishing attack, man-in-the-middle attack, or other methods. The attacker could then continue to exploit the user's session in the background, even after the legitimate user changed their password to protect themselves.

Here's a code snippet demonstrating how the vulnerability can be exploited

public void changePassword(String oldPassword, String newPassword) {
    // ... authentication code ...
    
    if(authenticated) {
        // change the user's password
        user.setPassword(newPassword);
        // However, existing sessions are not invalidated
        // allowing attackers to continue accessing the user's account
    }
}

Mitigation

The vulnerability has been fixed in Apache Roller 6.1.5. To address the issue, centralized session management has been implemented. With this new feature, active sessions are invalidated when a user's password is changed or when users are disabled.

To mitigate the vulnerability, it is recommended to upgrade to Apache Roller version 6.1.5 or higher.

Original References

- Apache Roller Project: https://roller.apache.org/
- Apache Roller ChangeLog: https://roller.apache.org/roller_61/changes-report.html
- CVE-2025-24859: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2025-24859
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-24859

In conclusion, it is essential to upgrade to Apache Roller version 6.1.5 or higher to protect against this session management vulnerability (CVE-2025-24859). Properly invalidating active sessions upon password changes or user deactivation greatly reduces the chances of unauthorized access from compromised credentials.

Timeline

Published on: 04/14/2025 09:15:14 UTC
Last modified on: 04/18/2025 16:15:20 UTC