CVE-2002-1800 in phpRank
Summary
by MITRE
phpRank 1.8 stores the administrative password in plaintext on the server and in the "ap" cookie, which allows remote attackers to retrieve the administrative password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1800 represents a critical security flaw in phpRank version 1.8 that exposes administrative credentials through improper password handling practices. This issue resides in the application's authentication mechanism where administrative passwords are stored in plaintext format on the server filesystem and simultaneously transmitted within the "ap" cookie. The vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles by failing to implement proper password encryption or hashing techniques during storage and transmission phases. The plaintext storage of administrative passwords creates an immediate risk for unauthorized access, as any attacker who gains access to the server files or intercepts network traffic can readily obtain administrative credentials without requiring additional exploitation techniques. This flaw demonstrates poor security design practices that align with CWE-312, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from phpRank's failure to employ industry-standard cryptographic practices for password management. When administrators create or modify their passwords, the system stores these credentials in plain text format within server-side files, making them immediately accessible to any user with file system access. Additionally, the "ap" cookie mechanism transmits the administrative password in plaintext across network connections, exposing it to interception during transmission. This dual exposure creates multiple attack vectors for potential exploitation, including local file system access attacks, man-in-the-middle interception, and cookie theft scenarios. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad, as it compromises the secret nature of administrative credentials essential for system security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft to encompass complete system compromise. An attacker who successfully retrieves the administrative password gains full control over the phpRank application, including the ability to modify content, add new users, alter system configurations, and potentially escalate privileges to underlying system access. This vulnerability enables privilege escalation attacks that can be categorized under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the creation of new accounts and modification of existing ones. The exposure of administrative credentials also facilitates lateral movement within networks where phpRank might be deployed, as attackers can use these credentials to access other systems that share similar authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability's persistence across sessions makes it particularly dangerous, as stolen credentials remain valid until manually changed, providing attackers with extended access windows.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1800 require immediate implementation of proper password handling protocols. Organizations should upgrade to patched versions of phpRank or migrate to more secure alternatives that implement proper password encryption using industry-standard algorithms such as bcrypt, scrypt, or PBKDF2. The system should enforce secure password storage practices by implementing one-way cryptographic hashing with unique salt values for each password, ensuring that even if database files are compromised, the actual passwords remain protected. Network-level protections should include the implementation of secure communication protocols such as HTTPS to prevent plaintext transmission of administrative credentials through cookies. Additionally, organizations should implement cookie security measures including secure flags, HttpOnly attributes, and SameSite policies to prevent cookie theft through cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-63B for password management and authentication systems, ensuring that sensitive data is never stored or transmitted in plaintext formats. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's infrastructure.