1. Introduction
Control iD iDSecure is vulnerable to a hard-coded JWT key authentication bypass, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to perform restricted operations. This impacts access management applications and could lead to complete system compromise. Confidentiality, integrity, and availability may be affected if an attacker gains unauthorized access.
2. Technical Explanation
The Control iD iDSecure application uses a hard-coded JWT key for authentication. An attacker can exploit this by crafting a malicious message with a valid signature based on the known key, bypassing normal authentication checks. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2023-33371.
- Root cause: The application uses a static, hard-coded JWT secret key instead of securely managing keys.
- Exploit mechanism: An attacker can create a specially crafted JWT with the correct payload and signature using the known hard-coded key to authenticate as any user.
- Scope: Control iD iDSecure versions prior to 4.7.31.0 are affected.
3. Detection and Assessment
Confirm vulnerability by checking the application version or inspecting configuration files for the hard-coded JWT key.
- Quick checks: Check the Control iD iDSecure version running on the system.
- Scanning: Nessus plugin ID 16837 may detect this issue, but results should be verified manually.
- Logs and evidence: Examine application logs for authentication attempts using potentially malicious JWT payloads.
# Example command placeholder:
# No specific command available to directly check for the hardcoded key without access to application files. Check version information via the UI or service status commands.
4. Solution / Remediation Steps
Upgrade Control iD iDSecure to a patched version to resolve this vulnerability.
4.1 Preparation
- A change window may be required depending on your environment and approval processes.
4.2 Implementation
- Step 1: Upgrade Control iD iDSecure to version 4.7.31.0 or later.
- Step 2: Restart the Control iD iDSecure service.
4.3 Config or Code Example
Before
# The hard-coded JWT key is present in the application configuration file. (Example - actual location will vary)
jwt_secret = "hardcoded_key"
After
# The JWT key should be securely managed, not hard-coded. (Example - actual implementation varies by version and configuration.)
jwt_secret = <securely stored key>
4.4 Security Practices Relevant to This Vulnerability
List only practices that directly address this vulnerability type. Use neutral wording and examples instead of fixed advice. For example: least privilege, input validation, safe defaults, secure headers, patch cadence.
- Practice 1: Secure key management – store sensitive keys in a dedicated secrets manager or hardware security module (HSM).
- Practice 2: Least privilege – limit the permissions of accounts and services to reduce the impact if compromised.
4.5 Automation (Optional)
# No automation script provided as upgrade process is specific to Control iD iDSecure deployment method.
5. Verification / Validation
Confirm the fix by verifying the upgraded version and attempting an authentication bypass using a crafted JWT payload.
- Post-fix check: Verify that the Control iD iDSecure version is 4.7.31.0 or later.
- Re-test: Attempt to exploit the vulnerability with a crafted JWT; authentication should fail.
- Smoke test: Ensure normal user login and access to restricted resources are functioning as expected.
- Monitoring: Monitor application logs for failed authentication attempts using invalid JWT payloads.
# Post-fix command and expected output
# Example - check version via UI or service status
# Control iD iDSecure Version: 4.7.31.0
6. Preventive Measures and Monitoring
Suggest only measures that are relevant to the vulnerability type. Use “for example” to keep advice conditional, not prescriptive.
- Baselines: Update security baselines to require secure key management practices for all applications.
- Pipelines: Integrate static application security testing (SAST) into CI/CD pipelines to identify hard-coded secrets.
- Asset and patch process: Implement a regular patch review cycle to apply security updates promptly.
7. Risks, Side Effects, and Roll Back
- Risk or side effect 1: Upgrade may introduce compatibility issues with other systems; test thoroughly in a staging environment first.
- Risk or side effect 2: Service downtime during upgrade process; plan for minimal disruption.
8. References and Resources
- Vendor advisory or bulletin: https://claroty.com/team82/disclosure-dashboard/cve-2023-33371
- NVD or CVE entry: CVE-2023-33371