CVE-2002-2064 in PhpWebGallery
Summary
by MITRE
isadmin.php in PhpWebGallery 1.0 allows remote attackers to gain administrative access via by setting the photo_login cookie to pseudo.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/11/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-2064 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in PhpWebGallery version 1.0 that allows remote attackers to escalate privileges and gain administrative access to the web application. This issue stems from a poorly implemented security mechanism within the isadmin.php script that fails to properly validate user credentials or session states. The vulnerability specifically exploits a weakness in the cookie-based authentication system where the photo_login cookie parameter can be manipulated to bypass normal access controls. When an attacker sets the photo_login cookie to the value "pseudo", the application incorrectly grants administrative privileges, effectively allowing unauthorized access to the gallery management interface. This flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and authentication logic that directly violates security best practices and creates a significant risk for any organization using this vulnerable version of the software.
The technical nature of this vulnerability can be classified under CWE-287 which specifically addresses improper authentication issues in software systems. The flaw represents a classic case of insecure authentication where the application relies on client-side cookie values without proper server-side validation or cryptographic verification. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK framework category of T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1566 which covers credential harvesting techniques. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no prior authentication credentials and can be executed remotely, making it accessible to any attacker with basic web browsing capabilities. The vulnerability exploits the trust relationship between the client and server by allowing manipulation of authentication state through cookie modification, which is a fundamental principle violation in secure web application design.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential data compromise, system integrity violations, and unauthorized modification of gallery content. An attacker with administrative access could upload malicious files, modify existing gallery configurations, delete content, or even establish persistent backdoors within the web application environment. The vulnerability affects the entire PhpWebGallery 1.0 installation and represents a complete breakdown of the application's security model, as it allows full administrative privileges to be obtained through a simple cookie manipulation technique. Organizations using this software would be vulnerable to content tampering, potential data exfiltration, and unauthorized modification of web gallery settings that could impact the overall functionality and security posture of their web infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must include immediate software updates to patched versions of PhpWebGallery that address the authentication bypass flaw. Organizations should implement proper cookie security measures including secure flags, HttpOnly attributes, and proper cryptographic signing of authentication tokens to prevent client-side manipulation. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can help detect and block suspicious cookie manipulation attempts, while server-side authentication mechanisms should be strengthened to validate all authentication state changes through server-side verification rather than relying on client-provided values. Additionally, security monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual authentication patterns and cookie modifications that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in web application security, emphasizing that authentication mechanisms must be robust and server-side validated rather than trusting client-side state information.