CVE-2002-0995 in PHPAuction
Summary
by MITRE
login.php for PHPAuction allows remote attackers to gain privileges via a direct call to login.php with the action parameter set to "insert," which adds the provided username to the adminUsers table.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-0995 represents a critical access control flaw in the PHPAuction web application's authentication mechanism. This issue stems from improper input validation and privilege escalation handling within the login.php script, which operates as a central authentication component for the application. The vulnerability exists due to the application's failure to properly validate user permissions before executing administrative operations, creating an avenue for unauthorized remote attackers to manipulate the authentication flow.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a direct parameter manipulation attack vector through the action parameter in the login.php script. When attackers submit a request containing action=insert, the application processes this parameter without adequate authorization checks, effectively bypassing normal authentication procedures. This flaw allows malicious actors to directly insert user accounts into the adminUsers table, thereby granting themselves administrative privileges without proper authentication. The vulnerability is classified as a privilege escalation issue under CWE-264, which specifically addresses "Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls" flaws in software applications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations deploying PHPAuction, as it enables remote code execution and full administrative control over the application. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain persistent access to the system, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, and further lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The impact extends beyond immediate unauthorized access, as the compromised administrative account can be used to modify application settings, manipulate user data, and establish backdoors for continued access. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers "Valid Accounts" and T1484 which addresses "Domain Policy Modification," as it essentially creates unauthorized administrative accounts within the application.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2002-0995 requires immediate implementation of proper input validation and authentication controls within the PHPAuction application. Organizations should ensure that all administrative operations require proper authentication and authorization checks before execution, implementing a principle of least privilege for all application functions. The fix involves adding comprehensive access control checks that validate user permissions before allowing any administrative operations to proceed. Additionally, input sanitization measures should be implemented to prevent parameter manipulation attacks, and all direct calls to administrative functions should be protected through proper session management and authentication verification. Security patches should be applied to the PHPAuction application to address this vulnerability, and organizations should conduct thorough security reviews of similar authentication mechanisms to identify and remediate comparable flaws in their web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper access control mechanisms and validates the necessity of following secure coding practices that prevent unauthorized privilege escalation attacks.