We all have witnessed the sudden paradigm shift where movie theatres have been replaced by OTT (over the top) platforms and books and magazines by e-books amid the global pandemic.
\nAs social isolation continues to be the new normal amidst remote working and social distancing measures, the popularity of OTT streaming apps – both video and audio has jumped exponentially to meet the surging demand.
\nThe latest stats reveal that the number of users in the OTT Video segment is expected to reach 462.7 million by 2025.
\nHowever, with the increase in subscriptions and the number of audiences online, several underlying threats have severely impacted the OTT businesses.
\nOne such issue is poor login concurrency, which can lead to severe identity theft issues for individuals and OTT platforms.
\nLogin concurrency refers to a situation where a user is logged into multiple devices from a single identity.
\nLogin concurrency can be pretty risky as two or more users using the same credentials have access to resources and critical information, and it becomes difficult for service providers to identify the unauthorized user that may have wrong intentions.
\nLet’s understand this in-depth and understand the harmful consequences of poor concurrency management for OTT platforms and how OTT platform providers can leverage identity management.
\nConcurrent login is a situation where a user is logged into a network through a single identity from multiple devices and has access to resources and information.
\nThe user can be a single individual or two or even multiple individuals using the same identity on a platform to access services from different locations or devices.
\nThere can be multiple reasons for concurrent login: the user’s negligence, poor session management by vendors, or a sneak into a consumer’s identity.
\nVarious live streaming cloud OTT providers face challenges where concurrent login issues hamper user experience and eventually become a threat.
\nCybercriminals are exploiting consumer identities of OTT subscribers and are accessing critical consumer information and trying to exploit business data for diverse purposes.
\nMoreover, the most subscribed OTT platform globally has reported users sharing access credentials beyond permitted limits with their friends and families, which is the leading cause of revenue loss.
\nThus, to overcome the situation where concurrent login is exploited in OTT services, there needs to be a stringent mechanism that provides real-time insights regarding a user’s login details and adequately manages login sessions for each sign-in and sign-out.
\nHere’s where the role of a robust CIAM (Consumer Identity and Access Management) comes into play.
\n\nLet’s dig deeper into this.
\nIf a user interacts with a platform and makes several interactions, the web application issues a session ID. This session ID is issued whenever a user logs in and records all their interactions.
\nIt is through this ID that the application communicates with users and responds to all their requests.
\nThe OWASP broken authentication recommendations state that this session ID is equivalent to the user’s original login credentials. If hackers steal a user’s session ID, they can sign in by impersonating their identity. This is known as session hijacking.
\nThe following points list the scenarios that can cause broken authentication.
\nIf a hacker successfully logs in by stealing a user’s credentials using any of the above-mentioned broken authentication techniques, they can misuse their privileges and impact the company's sustainability.
\nCybercriminals can have various intentions of hijacking a user’s web application, such as:
\nIn short, hackers can use broken authentication attacks and session hijacking to gain access to the system by forging session data, such as cookies, and stealing login credentials.
\nThus, it would be best to never compromise with your web applications' security.
\nLoginRadius has been at the forefront of offering a multilevel security web app environment. Here is how LoginRadius applications protect against broken authentication:
\nWith increasing OTT subscriptions and user expectations, OTT platforms need to gear up to deliver a flawless user experience in a way that doesn’t hamper their overall security mechanism quickly.
\nAdding stringent layers of security through a robust CIAM solution becomes the immediate need of the hour for OTT platforms facing concurrent login issues that affect their brand reputation and overall business revenues.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"August 31, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"How Poor Login Concurrency can Impact OTT Platforms' Business","tags":["data security","ciam solution","broken authentication"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.8867924528301887,"src":"/static/67d644bfd92d905d271f935ae6eca665/14b42/poor-login-concurrency-impact-ott-platforms-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/67d644bfd92d905d271f935ae6eca665/f836f/poor-login-concurrency-impact-ott-platforms-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/67d644bfd92d905d271f935ae6eca665/2244e/poor-login-concurrency-impact-ott-platforms-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/67d644bfd92d905d271f935ae6eca665/14b42/poor-login-concurrency-impact-ott-platforms-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/67d644bfd92d905d271f935ae6eca665/16310/poor-login-concurrency-impact-ott-platforms-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/what-is-broken-authentication/"},"html":"No matter what online platforms or applications you use, you are never fully protected against cyberattacks.
\nStatistics provide testimony to this fact as the number of data breaches rose by 37% in 2020 compared to 2019, and the trend is only increasing.
\nThe first step to protect your organization against such attacks is to have a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
\nLet us begin by figuring out what is broken authentication.
\nVery simply put, when the hacker gains access into the system admin's account by using the online platform's vulnerabilities, particularly in two areas: credential management and session management, it's referred to as broken authentication.
\nAuthentication protects a consumer's identity by allowing only a verified user to enter into the system. But there are numerous ways through which the hacker impersonates the consumer and enters inside the system.
\nThe weaknesses inherent in the system, as mentioned above, can be divided into two different groups, namely poor credential management and poor session management.
\nBroken Authentication and Session Management is a security vulnerability that occurs when the authentication and session management mechanisms of a web application are flawed or improperly implemented.
\nAuthentication refers to the process of verifying the identity of users, typically through usernames and passwords, while session management involves maintaining and controlling the user's session after authentication.
\nWhen these mechanisms are compromised or misconfigured, attackers can exploit the vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, impersonate other users, or hijack sessions. This can lead to severe security breaches and expose sensitive user information.
\nThe risks associated with broken authentication are profound and can have detrimental effects on individuals and organizations:
\nWhen attackers exploit broken authentication vulnerabilities, they can gain access to sensitive data such as personal information, financial details, or intellectual property. This unauthorized access can lead to data breaches and privacy violations.
\nOnce inside the system, attackers can manipulate or delete user data, causing disruptions to services, loss of important information, and potential legal ramifications.
\nBy hijacking user sessions or impersonating legitimate users, attackers can carry out fraudulent activities on behalf of the compromised accounts. This could include fraudulent transactions, spreading misinformation, or performing actions that tarnish the reputation of the affected individuals or organizations.
\nIf the compromised account belongs to an administrator or privileged user, attackers can escalate their privileges within the application. This can lead to complete system compromise and greater control over critical functions.
\nThe aftermath of a broken authentication attack can result in financial losses for businesses, especially if customer trust is compromised. Moreover, organizations may face legal consequences for failing to protect user data adequately.
\nPreventing broken authentication requires a multifaceted approach that addresses vulnerabilities at various stages of the authentication and session management processes. Here are some effective strategies:
\nThere are several examples of broken authentication vulnerability that highlight the potential risks. One common example is weak or easily guessable passwords, such as \"123456\" or \"password,\" which can be exploited by attackers.
\nAnother example is the lack of proper session expiration, where user sessions remain active even after a user logs out, allowing an attacker to reuse the session and gain unauthorized access.
\nAdditionally, if an application does not implement measures to prevent brute-force attacks, attackers can repeatedly guess usernames and passwords until they find a valid combination. Inadequate protection against account lockouts, session hijacking, or session fixation are also examples of broken authentication vulnerabilities.
\nAs mentioned earlier, the primary reasons for broken authentication. Let’s understand them one by one.
\nConsumer credentials can be hijacked to gain access to the system. There are various ways that the hacker can steal critical information, such as the following:
\nLet’s assume you like playing online games. You log in to the application and make several interactions with the network.
\nThe application issues a session ID whenever you log in and records all your interactions. It is through this ID that the application communicates with you and responds to all your requests.
\nThe OWASP broken authentication recommendations state that this session ID is equivalent to your original login credentials. If hackers steal your session ID, they can sign in by impersonating your identity. This is known as session hijacking.
\nThe following points list the scenarios that can cause broken authentication.
\nIf a hacker successfully logs in by stealing your credentials using any of the above mentioned broken authentication techniques, they can misuse your privileges and impact your company's sustainability.
\nCybercriminals can have various intentions of hijacking your web application, such as:
\nIn short, hackers can use broken authentication attacks and session hijacking to gain access to the system by forging session data, such as cookies, and stealing login credentials.
\nThus, it would be best if you never compromised with your web applications' security.
\nHere are a few examples of broken authentication.
\nSuppose you run a departmental store and sell groceries. To grow your business rapidly, you implement a CRM system that stores critical customer data, such as name, phone number, username, and password.
\nHackers make their way inside the CRM system and steal all the data. They then use the same credentials — usernames and passwords — to hack into the central bank's database.
\nIn this case, hackers are trying to successfully log in to the central bank's database by hoping that a handful of consumers must be using the same credentials at both places. Such kinds of broken authentication attacks are called credential stuffing.
\nSuppose you go to a cyber cafe and login your Gmail account. After sending the email, you close the browser tab and return home.
\nSometime later, the hacker opens your Gmail account and gains access to your crucial information. It happens because your credentials — username and password — haven't been invalidated adequately during logout.
\nThus, if the application session timeouts aren't set properly, hackers can execute a broken authentication attack.
\n\nLook at the names and their hashes in the following table:
\n| Alice\n | \n4420d1918bbcf7686defdf9560bb5087d20076de5f77b7cb4c3b40bf46ec428b\n | \n
| Bob\n | \n4420d1918bbcf7686defdf9560bb5087d20076de5f77b7cb4c3b40bf46ec428b\n | \n
| Mike\n | \n77b177de23f81d37b5b4495046b227befa4546db63cfe6fe541fc4c3cd216eb9\n | \n
The hash function stores passwords in the form of a hash instead of plain text, which humans can easily read. But if two different users enter the same password, then their hashes will be exactly the same.
\nHackers can perform a dictionary attack and if they crack one password, they can use the same password for gaining access to other accounts that use the same hash.
\nTo prevent this from happening, you must salt the passwords. A salt is a random value that is either appended or prepended to the password and makes it unique. So even if two different users use the same password, their hashes will not be the same.
\nThe following are the ways of preventing broken authentication attacks:
\nThe impact of broken authentication can be severe and far-reaching. When attackers successfully exploit these vulnerabilities, they can gain unauthorized access to user accounts, leading to various consequences.
\nThis may include unauthorized access to sensitive information, such as personal data, financial details, or intellectual property. Attackers can also manipulate or delete user data, impersonate legitimate users, perform fraudulent transactions, or even escalate their privileges within the application.
\nFurthermore, if the compromised account belongs to an administrator or privileged user, the impact can be even more significant, potentially compromising the entire system or network. Broken authentication vulnerabilities can tarnish an organization's reputation, result in financial losses, and expose users to identity theft and other cybercrimes.
\nLoginRadius has been at the forefront of offering a multilevel security web app environment. Here is how LoginRadius applications protect against broken authentication:
\nApart from the steps mentioned in this article, it's essential to train and educate your employees about broken authentication attacks. It would be best if you also employed top-notch cybersecurity measures to protect your company's database from session hijacking, credential stuffing, and other broken authentication attacks.
\n1. What are the solutions for broken authentication?
\nSolutions include implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), enforcing strong password policies, limiting failed login attempts, securing session management, and regular security audits.
\n2. What is broken access authentication?
\nBroken access authentication refers to vulnerabilities in the authentication process that allow unauthorized access to user accounts, often due to flawed or improperly implemented authentication mechanisms.
\n3. What can prevent authentication failures?
\nPreventative measures include MFA implementation, enforcing strong password policies, limiting failed login attempts, securing session management, and using secure hashing algorithms.
\n4. What is a broken authentication guessable password?
\nIt refers to weak or easily guessed passwords like \"123456\" or \"password,\" which are vulnerable to exploitation by attackers, leading to compromised accounts.
\n5. What are the risks of broken authentication?
\nRisks include unauthorized access to sensitive data, manipulation or deletion of user data, impersonation of legitimate users, escalation of privileges, financial losses, and legal consequences.
\n6. What are the effects of broken authentication attacks?
\nEffects include data breaches, privacy violations, fraudulent activities on compromised accounts, tarnished reputation for individuals or organizations, financial losses, and potential legal ramifications.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 17, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"What is Broken Authentication Vulnerability and How to Prevent It?","tags":["broken authentication","mfa","data security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/0005ff61c9196311b738904dc2cef6f2/33aa5/broken-auth.jpg","srcSet":"/static/0005ff61c9196311b738904dc2cef6f2/f836f/broken-auth.jpg 200w,\n/static/0005ff61c9196311b738904dc2cef6f2/2244e/broken-auth.jpg 400w,\n/static/0005ff61c9196311b738904dc2cef6f2/33aa5/broken-auth.jpg 768w","sizes":"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"tag":"broken authentication"}},"staticQueryHashes":["1171199041","1384082988","2100481360","23180105","528864852"]}