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[Bug 1577251] Re: Should invalidate password reset links when a user changes their primary email address

 

** Changed in: mahara/15.04
       Status: Fix Committed => Fix Released

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1577251

Title:
  Should invalidate password reset links when a user changes their
  primary email address

Status in Mahara:
  Fix Committed
Status in Mahara 15.04 series:
  Fix Released
Status in Mahara 15.10 series:
  Fix Committed
Status in Mahara 16.04 series:
  Fix Committed
Status in Mahara 16.10 series:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  As reported to us through the mahara.org security bug email address,
  by Sajibe kanti.

  When a user completes the "Forgot password?" password reset process,
  we delete any remaining password reset links for that user. However,
  we do not delete these if a user changes their primary email address.
  As the initial email points out, that could lead to an attack like
  this:

  1. Attacker compromises victim's Mahara account (without changing victim's password).
  2. Attacker changes their account's primary email address to the attacker's email address.
  3. Attacker uses "Forgot password" page to request a password reset email. They don't immediately use the link in the password reset email; instead they store it for later.
  4. Victim realizes their Mahara account is compromised, and logs in to their account.
  5. Victim attempts to secure their account by changing their password (through account settings page), and changing their primary email address back to their own.

  Expected result: The attacker is locked out of the victim's Mahara
  account

  Actual result: The attacker uses their stored password reset email to
  change the user's password and re-gain access to their account.

  
  We could help reduce this attack vector, by deleting any outstanding password reset emails for a user, when the user updates their account's primary email address. We should probably also delete any outstanding password reset emails for a user, when they change their account password through the account settings page. It may be worth considering other situations where password reset emails should be deleted, as well.

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References