CVE-2001-0567 in Zope
Summary
by MITRE
Digital Creations Zope 2.3.2 and earlier allows a local attacker to gain additional privileges via the changing of ZClass permission mappings for objects and methods in the ZClass.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-0567 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Digital Creations Zope content management system version 2.3.2 and earlier. This issue stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that allow local attackers to manipulate permission mappings within ZClass objects, which are fundamental components of the Zope object database architecture. The vulnerability specifically targets the permission management system that governs how objects and methods within ZClasses can be accessed and modified, creating a pathway for unauthorized privilege elevation.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper handling of permission mappings in ZClass objects, where local attackers can modify the security settings that control access to various methods and attributes within these classes. This occurs because the Zope framework fails to properly validate or restrict modifications to permission settings that are typically protected from direct manipulation by local users. The vulnerability leverages the fact that ZClasses can have their permission mappings changed at runtime, and the system does not adequately enforce access controls on these modification operations, allowing a local user to escalate privileges by altering the security policies of existing ZClass objects.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables local attackers to gain elevated privileges within the Zope environment, potentially allowing them to access sensitive data, modify critical system components, or perform administrative functions. This privilege escalation can lead to complete system compromise, as the attacker can manipulate objects and methods that should otherwise be restricted to administrators or privileged users. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where Zope serves as a web application platform, as local access often translates to broader system compromise potential through the exploitation of the underlying Zope object database structure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with privilege escalation attacks in web application frameworks. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques where adversaries leverage weaknesses in access control mechanisms to gain elevated system privileges. The issue also reflects poor security by design principles in the Zope framework's permission system implementation, where the security boundaries are not properly enforced at the object level. Organizations using vulnerable Zope versions should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions, applying proper access controls, and implementing monitoring for unauthorized permission changes. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper access control validation in object-oriented application frameworks where runtime modification of security policies can create exploitable conditions.