CVE-2001-0451 in Indexu
Summary
by MITRE
INDEXU 2.0 beta and earlier allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain privileges by setting the cookie_admin_authenticated cookie value to 1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-0451 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in INDEXU 2.0 beta and earlier versions. This issue stems from improper session management and inadequate input validation mechanisms within the web application's authentication system. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to directly manipulate session cookies to gain unauthorized administrative access to the system without legitimate credentials. The flaw specifically targets the cookie_admin_authenticated parameter which is intended to track administrative session states.
This vulnerability falls under the category of weak session management as defined by CWE-613, where the application fails to properly validate session tokens and authentication states. The issue demonstrates a classic case of insecure direct object reference, where an attacker can manipulate a parameter that controls access permissions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely without requiring any prior authentication or knowledge of valid user credentials. The cookie value of 1 essentially acts as a backdoor to administrative privileges, bypassing all normal authentication mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides complete administrative control over the affected system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can perform any administrative function including but not limited to user management, system configuration changes, data manipulation, and potentially system compromise. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system as it allows unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions. This type of flaw can lead to complete system takeover and data breaches, making it a high-priority security concern for any organization using affected software versions.
The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate patching of the affected INDEXU software to version 2.0 final or later which contains proper authentication mechanisms. Organizations should also implement proper session management practices including secure cookie attributes such as HttpOnly and Secure flags, and ensure that authentication tokens are properly validated server-side. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit the attack surface. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential harvesting and privilege escalation through authentication bypass methods. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar session management flaws in other applications within the organization's infrastructure.