CVE-2001-1367 in PHPSlice
Summary
by MITRE
The checkAccess function in PHPSlice 0.1.4, and all other versions between 0.1.1 and 0.1.6, does not properly verify the administrative access level, which could allow remote attackers to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-1367 resides within PHPSlice version 0.1.4 and affects all iterations between 0.1.1 and 0.1.6. This issue represents a critical security flaw in the application's access control mechanism, specifically within the checkAccess function that governs administrative privileges. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user permissions, creating a pathway for unauthorized individuals to escalate their privileges and assume administrative roles within the system. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture, where proper authentication and authorization checks are bypassed, allowing remote attackers to exploit the system without legitimate credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the checkAccess function's insufficient verification of administrative access levels. When users attempt to perform administrative operations, the function fails to properly authenticate and authorize their requests, creating a privilege escalation vector. This weakness aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms, and represents a classic example of insufficient privilege checking in web applications. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting specific requests that bypass the normal access control checks, effectively granting them administrative capabilities without proper authorization. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates remotely, meaning attackers do not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to exploit the weakness.
The operational impact of CVE-2001-1367 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with full administrative control over the affected PHPSlice installations. This level of access enables malicious actors to modify system configurations, manipulate data, install malware, and potentially use the compromised system as a launching point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target systems from anywhere on the internet, significantly expanding the potential attack surface. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and can be leveraged to establish persistent access through administrative accounts, potentially enabling lateral movement and data exfiltration activities.
Organizations utilizing affected PHPSlice versions should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions, applying security patches, or implementing compensating controls such as network segmentation and access controls. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper access control implementation and demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws in authentication mechanisms can lead to complete system compromise. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of their web application access controls and implement proper input validation and authorization checks to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other systems. Additionally, this vulnerability underscores the necessity of regular security assessments and timely patch management to protect against known exploits that could otherwise be easily remediated through proper maintenance procedures.