Account enumeration via failed-login timing discrepancy
Published Jan 31, 2022 · Updated May 5, 2025
Observable response discrepancy in Flask-AppBuilder before 3.4.4 allows remote attackers to enumerate valid accounts through login timing. BaseSecurityManager.update_user_auth_stat writes last_login for failed authentication of an existing user, adding database work that nonexistent users avoid. The unauthenticated login endpoint must use database authentication; the result is username disclosure without account access or data modification.
Summary
What happened
Observable response discrepancy in Flask-AppBuilder before 3.4.4 allows remote attackers to enumerate valid accounts through login timing. BaseSecurityManager.update_user_auth_stat writes last_login for failed authentication of an existing user, adding database work that nonexistent users avoid. The unauthenticated login endpoint must use database authentication; the result is username disclosure without account access or data modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-21659
- Published
- Jan 31, 2022
- Updated
- May 5, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-204, CWE-203, T1087
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 31, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 5, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo