CVE-2020-25827 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis
Discover the impact of CVE-2020-25827, a vulnerability in the OATHAuth extension in MediaWiki versions before 1.31.10 and 1.32.x through 1.34.4, allowing multiple concurrent requests across wikis.
An issue was discovered in the OATHAuth extension in MediaWiki before 1.31.10 and 1.32.x through 1.34.x before 1.34.4. For Wikis using OATHAuth on a farm/cluster (such as via CentralAuth), rate limiting of OATH tokens is only done on a single site level. Thus, multiple requests can be made across many wikis/sites concurrently.
Understanding CVE-2020-25827
This CVE identifies a vulnerability in the OATHAuth extension in MediaWiki versions prior to 1.31.10 and 1.32.x through 1.34.4.
What is CVE-2020-25827?
The vulnerability allows multiple requests to be made across various wikis/sites concurrently due to inadequate rate limiting of OATH tokens in a farm/cluster setup.
The Impact of CVE-2020-25827
The vulnerability could lead to potential abuse by attackers to make numerous requests simultaneously, potentially causing service disruption or unauthorized access.
Technical Details of CVE-2020-25827
The technical aspects of the vulnerability are as follows:
Vulnerability Description
The issue lies in the OATHAuth extension in MediaWiki, where rate limiting of OATH tokens is not enforced correctly in a farm/cluster configuration.
Affected Systems and Versions
- MediaWiki versions before 1.31.10
- MediaWiki 1.32.x through 1.34.x before 1.34.4
Exploitation Mechanism
Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending multiple requests across different wikis/sites simultaneously, taking advantage of the lack of proper rate limiting.
Mitigation and Prevention
To address CVE-2020-25827, consider the following steps:
Immediate Steps to Take
- Update MediaWiki to version 1.31.10 or 1.34.4 to mitigate the vulnerability.
- Implement network-level controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly monitor and audit access logs for unusual activity.
- Educate users on secure authentication practices to prevent unauthorized access.
Patching and Updates
- Apply patches and updates provided by MediaWiki to address the vulnerability and enhance security measures.