733
[REF-244]M. Bishop. "Computer Security: Art and Science". 2003. Addison-Wesley.
CWE-301: Reflection Attack in an Authentication Protocol
Weakness ID : 301
Structure : Simple
Abstraction : Base
Description
Simple authentication protocols are subject to reflection attacks if a malicious user can use the
target machine to impersonate a trusted user.
Extended Description
A mutual authentication protocol requires each party to respond to a random challenge by the other
party by encrypting it with a pre-shared key. Often, however, such protocols employ the same preshared
key for communication with a number of different entities. A malicious user or an attacker
can easily compromise this protocol without possessing the correct key by employing a reflection
attack on the protocol.
Reflection attacks capitalize on mutual authentication schemes in order to trick the target into
revealing the secret shared between it and another valid user. In a basic mutual-authentication
scheme, a secret is known to both the valid user and the server; this allows them to authenticate.
In order that they may verify this shared secret without sending it plainly over the wire, they
utilize a Diffie-Hellman-style scheme in which they each pick a value, then request the hash of
that value as keyed by the shared secret. In a reflection attack, the attacker claims to be a valid
user and requests the hash of a random value from the server. When the server returns this
value and requests its own value to be hashed, the attacker opens another connection to the
server. This time, the hash requested by the attacker is the value which the server requested in
the first connection. When the server returns this hashed value, it is used in the first connection,
authenticating the attacker successfully as the impersonated valid user.
Relationships
The table(s) below shows the weaknesses and high level categories that are related to this
weakness. These relationships are defined as ChildOf, ParentOf, MemberOr and give insight to
similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such
as PeerOf and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar weaknesses that may want to be explored.
Relevant to the view "Research Concepts" (CWE-1000)
Nature Type ID Name Page
ChildOf 1390 Weak Authentication 2267
PeerOf 327 Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm 799
Relevant to the view "Architectural Concepts" (CWE-1008)
Nature Type ID Name Page
MemberOf 1010 Authenticate Actors 2424
Relevant to the view "Software Development" (CWE-699)
Nature Type ID Name Page
MemberOf 1211 Authentication Errors 2475
Applicable Platforms
Language : Not Language-Specific (Prevalence = Undetermined)
Likelihood Of Exploit
CWE Version 4.14
CWE-301: Reflection Attack in an Authentication Protocol
CWE-301: Reflection Attack in an Authentication Protocol