Vulnerability Database

354,790

Total vulnerabilities in the database

SimpleSAMLphp Information Disclosure vulnerability — simplesamlphp / simplesamlphp

Missing Authorization

Background

SimpleSAMLphp 1.17 includes a preview of the new user interface to be included in the future version 2.0. This new user interface can be enabled by setting the usenewui configuration option to true, and it includes a new admin interface in a module called admin, which can be disabled.

Description

The new admin interface includes a way to view information about the host where SimpleSAMLphp is installed, by means of the phpinfo() PHP function. An endpoint that exposes the output of that function is included in the admin module for easier debugging.

The aforementioned endpoint had no checks for administrator privileges. This would allow any individual to access the given endpoint without authenticating, gathering information about the affected system.

Affected versions

All SimpleSAMLphp 1.17 versions up to 1.17.7 are affected, provided that the new, experimental use interface is enabled, together with the new admin module.

Impact

An attacker could leverage this issue by accessing the unprotected endpoint and gather intelligence about the host where SimpleSAMLphp is deployed, using it later for their own advantage in case other issues arise.

However, the impact of this issue is deemed as low, given that the new user interface must be explicitly enabled by means of the usenewui configuration option, and the new admin module must also be enabled.

Resolution

Upgrade to SimpleSAMLphp 1.17.8 or 1.18. This can be done by downloading the package, or by running composer update. Refer to the documentation for instructions on how to run composer.

Alternatively, the issue can be mitigated by either disabling the new user interface by setting the usenewui configuration option to false, or by disabling the admin module in the configuration:

'module.enable' => [ ... 'admin' => false, ... ],
  • Published: May 28, 2024
  • Updated: Jun 27, 2024
  • GHSA: GHSA-ppm4-r2vc-pg74
  • Severity: Medium
  • Exploit:
  • CISA KEV:

CVSS v3:

  • Severity: Medium
  • Score: 5.9
  • AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CWEs:

Frequently Asked Questions

A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.

CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.

A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.

Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.

Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.

SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.