CVE-2002-1560 in gBook
Summary
by MITRE
index.php in gBook 1.4 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrative privileges by setting the login parameter to true.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1560 resides within the gBook 1.4 web application's index.php file, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that fundamentally undermines the security posture of the system. This vulnerability operates through a simple yet devastating mechanism where remote attackers can manipulate the login parameter to gain administrative access without proper credentials. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and authentication logic within the application's core scripting components, allowing malicious actors to exploit a parameter manipulation vulnerability that should have been secured through proper access control mechanisms.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability manifests as a classic parameter manipulation attack that exploits the application's failure to properly validate user input before granting access privileges. The login parameter in the index.php file appears to function as a boolean flag that controls authentication flow, but the application fails to verify whether this parameter originates from legitimate administrative processes or has been tampered with by unauthorized users. This represents a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture, where the authentication system relies on client-side parameter manipulation rather than server-side verification of user credentials and privileges. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and demonstrates how weak input validation can lead to privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the gBook 1.4 application. Once authenticated, malicious users can manipulate all aspects of the application including but not limited to user management, content modification, database access, and system configuration changes. This level of access allows for data exfiltration, service disruption, and potential use as a foothold for further network penetration. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the system or knowledge of internal network structures. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1078 - Valid Accounts and T1566 - Phishing, as it enables unauthorized access through manipulated authentication parameters and can be leveraged as part of broader attack campaigns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1560 must address both the immediate vulnerability and broader architectural weaknesses that allowed it to exist. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing proper input validation and authentication controls within the index.php file, ensuring that the login parameter cannot be manipulated to bypass security checks. This includes implementing server-side verification of user credentials, enforcing proper session management, and establishing robust access control mechanisms that do not rely on client-side parameter manipulation. Organizations should also implement network segmentation, firewall rules, and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and proper authentication design principles, as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this type of authentication bypass flaw often indicates broader security weaknesses that may affect other parts of the system architecture.