CVE-2000-0117 in Cobalt Raq
Summary
by MITRE
The siteUserMod.cgi program in Cobalt RaQ2 servers allows any Site Administrator to modify passwords for other users, site administrators, and possibly admin (root).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-0117 represents a critical authorization flaw within the Cobalt RaQ2 server software that fundamentally undermines the security model of the affected system. This issue resides in the siteUserMod.cgi program, which serves as a user management interface for the server's administrative functions. The flaw allows any individual possessing Site Administrator privileges to manipulate user accounts beyond their intended scope, creating a significant privilege escalation vector that can compromise the entire system's integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the siteUserMod.cgi script. When a Site Administrator attempts to modify user accounts through this interface, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user has authorization to modify accounts belonging to other administrators or even the root user. This absence of proper privilege checking creates a direct path for unauthorized account manipulation, effectively allowing lower-privileged administrators to assume elevated privileges through password modification attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with a mechanism to escalate their privileges within the system. A malicious Site Administrator or an attacker who has gained Site Administrator credentials can leverage this flaw to modify passwords for other administrators, effectively creating backdoors or gaining persistent access to the system. The potential to modify the root user's password is particularly concerning as it can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to establish persistent control over the server environment.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control in software systems, and demonstrates how insufficient authorization checks can lead to privilege escalation attacks. From an attacker's perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through the manipulation of user credentials. The vulnerability essentially bypasses the principle of least privilege by allowing users to perform actions outside their designated administrative scope, creating a dangerous attack surface that can be exploited to compromise the entire server infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting access to the siteUserMod.cgi program, implementing proper access controls and authentication checks, and conducting comprehensive audits of administrative privileges. The most effective long-term solution involves patching the affected software to properly validate user permissions and implement role-based access controls that prevent Site Administrators from modifying accounts with higher privileges. Additionally, system monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized password modification attempts, and regular security assessments should verify that administrative interfaces properly enforce access control policies to prevent similar privilege escalation scenarios from occurring in the future.