CVE-2002-0524 in ASP-Nuke
Summary
by MITRE
ASP-Nuke RC2 and earlier allows remote attackers to determine the absolute path of the server by (1) calling database-inc.asp with incorrect cookies, or (2) calling Post.asp with certain arguments, which leak the pathname in an error message.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-0524 affects ASP-Nuke versions rc2 and earlier, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes absolute server paths to remote attackers. This vulnerability resides within the web application's error handling mechanisms and demonstrates poor security design in the application's input validation and error reporting processes. The flaw specifically impacts applications built using Active Server Pages technology, where improper error handling leads to the exposure of sensitive system information that can be leveraged for further attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through two distinct attack vectors that both result in path disclosure. The first vector involves calling the database-inc.asp script with incorrect cookies, while the second vector targets Post.asp with specific arguments that trigger error messages containing the absolute server path. These attack methods exploit the application's failure to properly sanitize input parameters and handle error conditions gracefully. When malformed requests are processed, the application generates error messages that inadvertently reveal the complete file system path where the application is installed, providing attackers with crucial information about the server's structure.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for affected systems. The disclosure of absolute server paths enables attackers to gain detailed knowledge about the target environment, including directory structures and file locations. This information can be used to plan more sophisticated attacks, such as path traversal exploits, local file inclusion vulnerabilities, or targeted attacks against specific files and directories. The vulnerability essentially provides an attacker with a roadmap of the server's file system, making subsequent exploitation attempts much more effective and reducing the attack surface required for successful compromise.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses the improper handling of error conditions that lead to information disclosure, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-426, representing the execution of untrusted code through improper input handling. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation), as attackers can use the disclosed paths to conduct further reconnaissance and potentially escalate privileges. The information disclosure nature of this vulnerability also relates to T1592 (Use of Unsecured Credentials) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) as attackers can use the path information to craft more targeted attacks against the system.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including proper error handling that does not expose system paths in error messages, input validation that properly sanitizes all user-supplied data, and comprehensive logging of all access attempts to sensitive scripts. The most effective remediation involves updating to the latest version of ASP-Nuke where this vulnerability has been patched, implementing proper security headers to prevent error message exposure, and configuring the web server to return generic error messages to users while logging detailed errors internally for administrators. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and ensure that error handling mechanisms properly sanitize output to prevent information leakage.