CVE-2024-55557: Weasis Information Disclosure Vulnerability

CVE-2024-55557 Overview

A critical hardcoded credentials vulnerability has been identified in Weasis 4.5.1, specifically within the ui/pref/ProxyPrefView.java file in the weasis-core component. The vulnerability stems from the use of a hardcoded key for symmetric encryption of proxy credentials, allowing attackers to decrypt sensitive authentication information if they gain access to the encrypted data.

Critical Impact

Attackers with access to encrypted proxy credentials can decrypt them using the hardcoded symmetric key, potentially gaining unauthorized access to network resources and compromising system security.

Affected Products

• Weasis 4.5.1
• weasis-core component (ui/pref/ProxyPrefView.java)
• Weasis installations configured with proxy authentication

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-12-16 - CVE-2024-55557 published to NVD
• 2024-12-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-55557

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials), a well-documented security weakness that occurs when software contains embedded authentication credentials such as passwords or cryptographic keys. In the case of Weasis 4.5.1, the application uses a static, hardcoded key to perform symmetric encryption of proxy credentials stored in the application's configuration.

The fundamental issue is that any attacker who obtains a copy of the application binary or source code can extract the hardcoded encryption key. Once in possession of this key, the attacker can decrypt any proxy credentials that have been encrypted and stored by the application. This effectively renders the encryption useless from a security perspective.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the implementation of credential storage within the ProxyPrefView.java file. Rather than using secure key derivation mechanisms, unique per-installation keys, or leveraging the operating system's credential storage APIs, the developers embedded a static encryption key directly in the source code. This approach is fundamentally flawed because:

1. The key is identical across all installations of Weasis 4.5.1
2. The key can be extracted through reverse engineering or source code review
3. There is no mechanism for key rotation or per-user key derivation

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability through the following approach:

1. Obtain access to a Weasis 4.5.1 installation or its configuration files
2. Extract the hardcoded encryption key from the ProxyPrefView.java class
3. Locate the encrypted proxy credentials in the application's stored preferences
4. Decrypt the credentials using the extracted key
5. Use the recovered credentials to access protected network resources

The vulnerability is particularly concerning in healthcare environments where Weasis is commonly deployed as a DICOM viewer, as compromised proxy credentials could provide access to sensitive medical imaging infrastructure.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-55557

Indicators of Compromise

• Unauthorized access attempts to proxy servers using valid credentials
• Unexpected network traffic from systems not typically associated with proxy authentication
• Access to Weasis configuration files from unauthorized processes or users
• Evidence of reverse engineering attempts on Weasis binaries

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for unusual access patterns to Weasis configuration directories and preference files
• Implement file integrity monitoring on Weasis installation directories to detect unauthorized access
• Review authentication logs on proxy servers for connections from unexpected source IPs
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions to identify attempts to extract or read application configuration data

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on proxy servers to track authentication events with source attribution
• Implement alerting for multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful access
• Monitor for lateral movement patterns that may indicate compromised proxy credentials
• Regularly audit systems with Weasis installations to verify configuration integrity

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-55557

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all installations of Weasis 4.5.1 within your environment
• Rotate any proxy credentials that have been configured in affected Weasis installations
• Restrict network access to proxy servers to only authorized endpoints
• Monitor for suspicious authentication activity on proxy infrastructure

Patch Information

Users should check for updated versions of Weasis that address this hardcoded key vulnerability. For more information about the affected release, refer to the GitHub Weasis Release 4.5.1 page. Additional technical details about this vulnerability can be found at the GitHub CVE-2024-55557 repository and the Partywave Research CVE-2024-55557 page.

Workarounds

• Avoid storing proxy credentials within Weasis if possible; use network-level authentication instead
• Implement additional network segmentation to limit the impact of compromised proxy credentials
• Consider using system-level credential managers that provide stronger encryption mechanisms
• Apply the principle of least privilege to proxy accounts, limiting access scope for potentially compromised credentials
• Deploy network monitoring to detect unauthorized use of proxy authentication

# Identify Weasis installations in your environment
find / -name "weasis*" -type d 2>/dev/null
# Check for configuration files that may contain encrypted credentials
find / -name "*.properties" -path "*weasis*" 2>/dev/null