CVE-2001-1363 in phpWebSite
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in phpWebSite before 0.7.9 related to running multiple instances in the same domain, which may allow attackers to gain administrative privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-1363 affects phpWebSite versions prior to 0.7.9 and represents a critical security flaw related to session management and cross-domain instance conflicts. This issue arises when multiple instances of phpWebSite are deployed within the same domain, creating a scenario where session data becomes shared or improperly isolated between different installations. The flaw stems from inadequate session handling mechanisms that fail to properly differentiate between separate instances operating under identical domain contexts, allowing unauthorized users to potentially escalate their privileges to administrative levels through session hijacking or manipulation techniques.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits weaknesses in the session identifier generation and validation processes within phpWebSite's authentication framework. When multiple instances exist on the same domain, the system's inability to maintain proper session isolation creates a condition where an attacker can manipulate session cookies or tokens from one instance to gain access to another instance's administrative functions. This cross-instance privilege escalation occurs because the application does not adequately implement domain-specific session boundaries or utilize unique session identifiers that would prevent conflicts between separate installations. The flaw essentially allows attackers to leverage session data from a lower-privilege instance to attempt administrative access on another instance sharing the same domain namespace.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations deploying multiple phpWebSite instances within shared hosting environments or virtual hosting scenarios. The ability to gain administrative privileges through session manipulation can lead to complete system compromise, data theft, unauthorized modifications, and potential lateral movement within network environments. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code, modify database contents, steal sensitive information, or establish persistent access points. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in shared hosting environments where multiple customers may be running phpWebSite instances on the same server, as it creates a potential attack vector that could affect all instances within the domain context. Organizations using phpWebSite in production environments face substantial risk of unauthorized access and data breaches if this vulnerability remains unpatched.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2001-1363 requires immediate implementation of phpWebSite version 0.7.9 or later, which includes proper session isolation mechanisms and enhanced authentication controls. System administrators should ensure that each phpWebSite instance operates with distinct domain contexts or subdomains to prevent session conflicts, and implement proper session management configurations that enforce unique session identifiers for each installation. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of multiple instances within the same domain. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-305 authentication weaknesses and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, emphasizing the importance of proper session management and access controls. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar session-related vulnerabilities across all web applications in the environment.