[security-dev] PLINK-84 - Login can be bypassed with any user after a first successful login

[Jess Sightler]

I see no reason why someone would call login again on an already authenticated session. I believe that Seam 2.x used to catch this and throw an exception (though I could be misremembering). Personally, I would prefer an exception over silently ignoring the call or an option such as the one below.

Unless there is a valid reason to call .login again?

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Anil Saldhana" <Anil.Saldhana at redhat.com>
> To: security-dev at lists.jboss.org
> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 7:31:33 PM
> Subject: Re: [security-dev] PLINK-84 - Login can be bypassed with any user after a first successful login
> 
> 
> 
> Actually, I do not see a problem in customizing the behavior of
> repeated login() method calls:
> 
> something like:
> 
> identity.setOption(Option.LOGIN_REPEAT);
> credential.setCredential(x);
> identity.login();
> credential.setCredential(y);
> identity.login();
> 
> If the option is set, then the second call of login() will
> authenticate again.
> 
> By default, we want to maintain the session behavior. But if Aerogear
> wants repeated login() logic, they should be able to set it in the
> option?
> 
> Feedback?
> 
> On 01/30/2013 11:47 AM, Bruno Oliveira wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> I still don't agree with it, we're giving the benefit of the doubt to
> developers. If I have a method which is invoked twice for example
> via HTTP request with the following code:
> 
> 
> 
> > > credential.setCredential(x); > > identity.login(); > Login should
> > > be validate it again, but if you think that is not a problem,
> > > I'm fine.
> 
> Anil, could you please provide the final solution for it? Examples of
> usage?
> --
> "The measure of a man is what he does with power" - Plato
> -
> @abstractj
> -
> Volenti Nihil Difficile
> 
> 
> 
> On Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 1:40 PM, Anil Saldhana wrote:
> 
> > On 01/30/2013 09:33 AM, Bruno Oliveira wrote:
> 
> > > So if I'm a bank where the user account is logged in, this user
> > > has just forgot to 'logout'. Another person using his computer
> > > can just bypass the login, because the session still exists?
> > > Banks get over this by frequently being proactive using
> > > Javascript. If the user has been idle for a minute, they give
> > > out a warning and if there is no response, they log out the
> > > user. > >
> 
> > > Another scenario, I'm at the same network of John, running my
> > > whatever-sniffer, then is just a matter of grab the current
> > > session ID and login? Am I wrong? Because If understood
> > > correctly, after user login, even if I invoke this method for a
> > > second time, what really matters is the session ID. https/ssl
> > > should be mandatory for all critical web applications. Just have
> > > a HTTP Header agent installed for your browser. Your passwords
> > > are in the clear in the http header agent if you do not use
> > > https. >
> 
> > > I'm confused. > > -- "The measure of a man is what he does with
> > > power" - Plato - @abstractj - Volenti Nihil Difficile On
> > > Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 1:17 PM, Anil Saldhana wrote: > >
> 
> 
> 
> > > > > On 01/29/2013 08:08 PM, Douglas Campos wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> > > > > > > On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 05:19:23PM -0600, Anil Saldhana
> > > > > > > wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> > > > > > > > > Shane, > > > this is not a bug rather a feature
> > > > > > > > > request. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > > > > > > > > > > it's a bug > > > > > > > > Aerogear has the
> > > > > > > > > > > following sequence: > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > credential.setCredential(x); > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > identity.login(); > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > credential.setCredential(y); > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > identity.login(); > > > > > > Aerogear wants
> > > > > > > > > > > PicketLink to reauthenticate during the second
> > > > > > > > > > > login() > > > call. Currently > > > it will not
> > > > > > > > > > > because the first login() established a User
> > > > > > > > > > > instance and > > > subsequent login() > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > calls will just bypass the auth process. > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > > > > > > > > > > If my API doesn't do the login process on the
> > > > > > > > > > > login() call, am I not > > failing with the
> > > > > > > > > > > "least surprise principle"? If it doesn't do all
> > > > > > > > > > > the > > login procedure when called, better
> > > > > > > > > > > rename it then: mayLogin(), > >
> > > > > > > > > > > loginWithCaching() or anything like this. > > >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > > > > > > Your usage: > > User user = null; > AuthenticationResult
> > > > > > > result = identity.login(); > if(result ==
> > > > > > > AuthenticationResult.SUCCESS){ > user =
> > > > > > > identity.getUser(); > } else { > throw new
> > > > > > > RuntimeException("Authentication Failed"); > } > > //Now
> > > > > > > identity has an user > //Irrespective of what you want
> > > > > > > to put in credential, you are > authenticated already
> > > > > > > until you logout > result = identity.login(); > //result
> > > > > > > is always SUCCESS. >
> 
> 
> 
> > > > > > > > > IMO, this is not only wrong, but I think it can be
> > > > > > > > > used as a potential > > attack vector. > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > > > > > > How?
> 
> 
> 
> > > > > > > > > -- qmx > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > > >
> 
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