CVE-2002-2057 in Teekai
Summary
by MITRE
TeeKai Forum 1.2 uses weak encryption of web usage statistics in data/member_log.txt, which is stored under the web document root with insufficient access control, which allows remote attackers to identify IP s visiting the site by dividing each octet by the MD5 hash of 20 .
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2019
This vulnerability resides in TeeKai Forum version 1.2 where web usage statistics are stored in a file named data/member_log.txt within the web document root directory. The security flaw stems from the implementation of weak encryption mechanisms that process IP address information through MD5 hashing operations. The attacker can exploit this weakness by analyzing the statistical data to reconstruct individual IP addresses by performing mathematical operations on the hashed values, specifically by dividing each octet of the IP address by the MD5 hash value of 20. This represents a significant information disclosure vulnerability that violates fundamental security principles of data protection and access control.
The technical implementation of this weakness demonstrates poor cryptographic practices and inadequate security measures in the application's data handling procedures. The vulnerability occurs because the system fails to implement proper encryption standards for sensitive data, instead relying on a simplistic mathematical operation that can be reversed through basic arithmetic analysis. The MD5 hash function, while not inherently broken for this specific use case, becomes ineffective when combined with predictable mathematical operations that allow attackers to derive the original values. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in data protection mechanisms, and more specifically to CWE-312, which covers cleartext storage of sensitive information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. Remote attackers can use the recovered IP addresses to build profiles of site visitors, identify potential targets for further attacks, or correlate this information with other data sources to map network infrastructure. The weakness allows for reconnaissance activities that could lead to targeted attacks against specific users or systems identified through the visitor logs. This vulnerability also violates security principles of least privilege and proper access control, as the file is stored in the web document root without appropriate restrictions, making it accessible to anyone who can request the file through standard web protocols.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK techniques including T1083 for system information discovery and T1046 for network service scanning. The ability to extract IP addresses from web statistics essentially provides attackers with network reconnaissance capabilities that would otherwise require more invasive techniques. Organizations using this vulnerable software face increased risk of targeted attacks, as the recovered IP addresses can be used to map network topology, identify active systems, and plan subsequent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper data sanitization and the implementation of robust access controls for sensitive data storage.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of proper file access controls to prevent unauthorized access to the data/member_log.txt file through web requests. The application should be updated to use strong encryption algorithms for storing sensitive information, and the current weak MD5-based approach should be replaced with industry-standard cryptographic methods such as AES encryption with proper key management. Additionally, access to the statistics files should be restricted through proper authentication mechanisms, and the application should be configured to store sensitive data outside of the web document root. Regular security audits should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other parts of the application, and the system should implement proper logging and monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to sensitive data files.