CVE-2002-1432 in MidiCart
Summary
by MITRE
MidiCart stores the midicart.mdb database file under the Web document root, which allows remote attackers to steal sensitive information by directly requesting the database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1432 represents a critical misconfiguration in the MidiCart application that exposes sensitive database files to unauthorized access. This issue stems from the application's improper handling of database storage locations, where the midicart.mdb file is placed within the web document root directory structure. The web document root serves as the primary directory from which web servers serve files to users, making any files stored within this location directly accessible through HTTP requests. This configuration flaw creates an immediate attack vector that allows remote adversaries to bypass normal application security controls and directly access the database file.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the web server's file serving mechanism being configured to expose database files without proper access controls or authentication requirements. When the midicart.mdb database file resides in the web document root, any user with knowledge of the file path can construct a direct HTTP request to retrieve the database contents. This represents a fundamental failure in the principle of least privilege and proper separation of concerns between application logic and data storage. The database file likely contains sensitive information including user credentials, customer data, transaction records, and other confidential business information that should remain protected from unauthorized access. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-22 known as "Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory" and CWE-200 which addresses "Information Exposure," making it a compound security weakness that combines path traversal issues with information disclosure vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited repeatedly by attackers. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive business information, potentially leading to identity theft, financial fraud, and corporate espionage. The exposure of database files often provides attackers with comprehensive insights into the application's data structure, which can facilitate further exploitation attempts such as injection attacks or privilege escalation. This vulnerability also violates fundamental security principles outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1005 category "Data from Local System" and T1074 "Data Staged," as it enables adversaries to directly acquire sensitive information without requiring additional attack vectors or complex exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1432 must address the root cause through proper configuration management and security hardening practices. Organizations should immediately relocate the midicart.mdb database file outside of the web document root directory structure, ensuring that database files are stored in protected server directories that are not accessible through web requests. Implementing proper access controls through web server configuration files such as .htaccess or server configuration settings can prevent direct access to sensitive database files. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security audits to identify other potential misconfigurations that may expose sensitive data, ensuring that all database files and configuration settings are properly secured. The remediation process should include regular security testing and monitoring to prevent similar misconfigurations from reoccurring in the future, as this vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in basic security hygiene practices that should be implemented as standard procedure in all web application deployments.