Authentication / Spoofable Client IP Address

Description

Spoofable client IP address is an authentication vulnerability (CWE-287) that occurs in infrastructure. This vulnerability occurs when an attacker is able to spoof their IP address, in order to bypass authentication. This is often done by impersonating the IP address of a trusted source, to gain access to systems or services. This is a serious security risk, as it can lead to malicious actors gaining access to privileged systems and data. (ref. OWASP Testing Guide)

Risk

The risk associated with this vulnerability is considerable. The attacker is able to gain access to systems and services they are not authorised to access, potentially leading to the theft of sensitive data, or the alteration of data. It can also potentially lead to the attacker gaining access to privileged systems and data, potentially leading to a data breach or other malicious activity.

Solution

The best solution to this vulnerability is to implement IP address filtering and firewalls to prevent spoofed IP addresses from accessing systems and services. Additionally, strong authentication protocols, such as two-factor authentication (2FA), can be used to ensure that only authorised users are able to access systems and services.