CVE-2022-22956: A Deep Dive into VMware Workspace ONE Access Authentication Bypass Vulnerabilities

VMware Workspace ONE Access, a leading identity and access management solution, has recently been identified to contain two critical authentication bypass vulnerabilities, CVE-2022-22955 and CVE-2022-22956. These vulnerabilities lie within the OAuth2 ACS (Assertion Consumer Service) framework, potentially enabling malicious actors to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to execute operations. In this long read post, we will delve into the details of these vulnerabilities and analyze their potential impact.

CVE-2022-22955 & CVE-2022-22956 Exploit Details

VMware Workspace ONE Access uses the OAuth2 ACS framework to handle authentication and authorization requests. Unfortunately, two exposed endpoints in this framework have been discovered to allow authentication bypass:

CVE-2022-22955 - An endpoint remains exposed even after the authentication process is completed.

2. CVE-2022-22956 - The improper handling of OAuth2 ACS response processing leading to incorrect user context establishment.

These vulnerabilities work in conjunction to present a dangerous exploit to the system. A malicious actor can bypass the authentication mechanism by sending crafted requests to the exposed endpoints. This could enable them to execute any operation as if they were an authorized user.

Code Snippet of Vulnerable Components

Consider the following code snippet that demonstrates the improper handling of OAuth2 ACS response processing:

public void processOAuth2ACSResponse(String responseString) {
    OAuth2ACSResponse response = parseResponseString(responseString);
    
    if (response == null) {
        handleError("Invalid response received");
    } else {
        // Check for a user context object
        if (response.getUserContext() != null) {
            // Set user context for the current session
            this.userContext = response.getUserContext();
        } else {
            handleError("User context not found in the response");
        }
    }
}

In this example, the OAuth2 ACS response is being parsed and the user context is established if present in the response. However, no additional validation or checks are performed. This can lead to a malicious user crafting a response containing an unauthorized user context and gaining access to the system.

The following official advisories provide further details on these vulnerabilities

1. VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2022-0002 - This advisory provides a brief overview of the vulnerabilities along with the affected product versions and mitigation steps.
2. CVE-2022-22955 Official CVE Record - Detailed record for CVE-2022-22955, including a description of the vulnerability and affected versions.
3. CVE-2022-22956 Official CVE Record - Detailed record for CVE-2022-22956, including a description of the vulnerability and affected versions.

Implications and Mitigation

The presence of these vulnerabilities in the VMware Workspace ONE Access solution poses a significant risk for organizations utilizing it for their identity and access management. Unauthorized access to sensitive resources could lead to critical data breaches or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of legitimate users.

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2022-22955 and CVE-2022-22956, VMware has released patches for affected versions of Workspace ONE Access. Organizations using the product should promptly apply these patches to secure their environment and prevent potential exploitation. Additionally, organizations must monitor their access logs for any signs of unauthorized behavior and report any suspicious activities.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-22956, along with CVE-2022-22955, highlights the importance of identifying and patching vulnerabilities in widely used software components such as VMware Workspace ONE Access. By staying informed about these security issues and applying necessary patches, organizations can protect themselves and mitigate the risks posed by such exploits.

Always keep your software up-to-date, and ensure to follow the best security practices by monitoring access logs and investing in robust identity and access management solutions.

Timeline

Published on: 04/13/2022 18:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 04/21/2022 14:17:00 UTC