Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in elabftw versions 5.4.1 and earlier, where the multi-factor authentication (MFA) process does not reliably maintain the MFA state across authentication steps.

Under certain conditions, an attacker who already has valid primary credentials can bypass the additional MFA factor by using an attacker-controlled TOTP secret during login.

This flaw allows the attacker to complete authentication without the second factor, resulting in unauthorized access to user accounts.

The issue is fixed in version 5.4.2.

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Impact Analysis

If you are using elabftw versions 5.4.1 or earlier, this vulnerability could allow an attacker with your primary login credentials to bypass multi-factor authentication and gain unauthorized access to your account.

This unauthorized access could lead to exposure or manipulation of sensitive lab data stored within the electronic lab notebook.

Because the attacker can bypass the additional security layer, the risk of account compromise is significantly increased.

To mitigate this risk, it is recommended to upgrade to version 5.4.2, rotate credentials for affected accounts, and monitor authentication events for suspicious activity.

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Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves an attacker bypassing multi-factor authentication (MFA) by using a manipulated TOTP secret during the login flow. Detection should focus on monitoring authentication events for unusual patterns, such as successful logins with valid primary credentials but suspicious MFA behavior.

Specifically, you should monitor logs for authentication attempts where MFA is bypassed or where TOTP secrets appear to be attacker-controlled.

While no specific commands are provided in the resources, general detection steps include:

• Review authentication logs for anomalies in MFA usage.
• Use commands to check recent login attempts, for example, on Linux systems: `grep 'login' /var/log/auth.log` or equivalent log files.
• Audit application logs for suspicious MFA bypass events or unexpected TOTP secret changes.

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Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, the primary recommended step is to upgrade elabftw to version 5.4.2 or later, where the issue has been fixed.

Additionally, it is advised to rotate credentials for affected accounts to prevent unauthorized access using compromised credentials.

Monitoring authentication events for suspicious activity is also recommended to detect any exploitation attempts.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows an attacker with valid primary credentials to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) and gain unauthorized access to user accounts.

Unauthorized account access can lead to exposure or misuse of sensitive data, which may impact compliance with data protection standards and regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA that require strong authentication controls to protect personal and health information.

Organizations using affected versions of elabftw may face increased risk of non-compliance due to weakened authentication security, potentially resulting in regulatory penalties or breaches of contractual obligations.

Mitigation involves upgrading to version 5.4.2, rotating credentials, and monitoring authentication events to restore compliance and reduce risk.

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