CVE-2024-6914: WSO2 API Manager Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-6914 Overview

An incorrect authorization vulnerability (CWE-863) exists in multiple WSO2 products due to a business logic flaw in the account recovery-related SOAP admin service. This vulnerability allows a malicious actor to reset the password of any user account without proper authorization, leading to complete account takeover—including accounts with elevated administrative privileges.

The vulnerability is exploitable through the account recovery SOAP admin services exposed via the /services context path in affected products. Organizations that have followed WSO2's "Security Guidelines for Production Deployment" by restricting access to these endpoints from untrusted networks may have reduced exposure.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can achieve complete account takeover of any user, including administrative accounts, by exploiting the flawed password reset functionality in WSO2's SOAP admin services.

Affected Products

• WSO2 API Manager (versions 2.2.0 through 4.3.0)
• WSO2 Identity Server (versions 5.3.0 through 7.0.0)
• WSO2 Identity Server as Key Manager (versions 5.3.0 through 5.10.0)
• WSO2 Open Banking AM (versions 1.3.0 through 2.0.0)
• WSO2 Open Banking IAM (version 2.0.0)
• WSO2 Open Banking KM (versions 1.3.0 through 1.5.0)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-05-22 - CVE-2024-6914 published to NVD
• 2025-10-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-6914

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from a business logic flaw in the account recovery functionality within WSO2's SOAP admin services. The incorrect authorization implementation fails to properly validate whether the requesting party has legitimate authority to initiate password reset operations for a target account.

When an attacker sends a crafted SOAP request to the account recovery admin service, the system does not adequately verify the relationship between the requester and the target account. This allows an unauthenticated attacker to bypass the intended authorization controls and reset passwords for arbitrary user accounts.

The impact is severe because the vulnerability affects identity management components that often control access to critical enterprise resources. Successful exploitation grants attackers complete control over compromised accounts, enabling data theft, privilege escalation, and lateral movement within the organization's infrastructure.

Root Cause

The root cause is a business logic error in the authorization checks performed by the account recovery SOAP admin service. The service fails to implement proper verification of requester identity and authority before processing password reset requests. This is classified as CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), where the application performs an authorization check but the check is flawed or uses incorrect logic.

The vulnerable functionality is exposed through the /services context path, which provides administrative SOAP services. While these endpoints should be protected, the lack of proper authorization enforcement within the service logic itself creates the exploitable condition.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker with network access to the vulnerable /services endpoint can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Identifying a target WSO2 deployment with exposed SOAP admin services
2. Crafting a SOAP request to the account recovery service targeting a specific user account
3. Submitting the malicious request to trigger an unauthorized password reset
4. Using the reset functionality to gain access to the target account

The attack allows complete takeover of any user account, including those with administrative privileges, making this a particularly dangerous vulnerability for organizations using WSO2 products for identity and access management.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-6914

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected password reset events in user accounts, particularly for administrative users
• Unusual SOAP requests to the /services context path from external or untrusted IP addresses
• Multiple password reset attempts targeting different user accounts in a short timeframe
• Authentication events from accounts whose owners report not initiating password changes

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web server access logs for HTTP requests to /services/* endpoints, especially from external networks
• Implement alerting for anomalous password reset activity patterns in WSO2 audit logs
• Deploy network intrusion detection rules to identify SOAP requests containing account recovery operations
• Review authentication logs for successful logins following unexpected password change events

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable and centralize WSO2 audit logging to capture all account recovery operations
• Implement SIEM correlation rules to detect password reset events followed by suspicious login activity
• Monitor for reconnaissance activity targeting the /services context path
• Establish baseline metrics for normal password reset activity to identify anomalous patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-6914

Immediate Actions Required

• Review network access controls to ensure /services endpoints are not exposed to untrusted networks
• Audit recent password reset activity for signs of unauthorized account modifications
• Verify that administrative accounts have not been compromised
• Implement web application firewall rules to restrict access to SOAP admin services
• Consider temporarily disabling the account recovery SOAP services if not operationally required

Patch Information

WSO2 has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the WSO2 Security Advisory WSO2-2024-3561 for specific patch versions and upgrade instructions applicable to their deployed product versions.

It is critical to update all affected WSO2 products to the latest patched versions as soon as possible, given the severity of this vulnerability and its potential for complete account takeover.

Workarounds

• Restrict network access to the /services context path using firewall rules or reverse proxy configurations
• Follow the WSO2 Security Guidelines for Production Deployment to disable exposure of admin services to untrusted networks
• Implement IP allowlisting for administrative service endpoints
• Enable additional authentication mechanisms at the network layer for access to management interfaces

# Example: Restricting access to /services endpoint via Apache configuration
<Location "/services">
    Order deny,allow
    Deny from all
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
    Allow from 192.168.0.0/16
</Location>