CVE-2003-0588 in Digi-news
Summary
by MITRE
admin.php in Digi-news 1.1 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication via a cookie with the username set to the name of the administrator, which satisfies an improper condition in admin.php that does not require a correct password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0588 resides within the administrative interface of Digi-news version 1.1, specifically in the admin.php script that handles authentication processes. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that fundamentally undermines the application's access control mechanisms and allows unauthorized users to gain administrative privileges without proper authentication credentials. The vulnerability manifests through an improper validation condition that fails to adequately verify the legitimacy of administrative access requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a logical error in the authentication verification logic within admin.php. When an attacker crafts a specially formatted cookie with the administrator username properly set, the application's authentication routine fails to validate the associated password component. This occurs because the code structure contains a condition that does not properly enforce password verification, allowing any user who can manipulate the cookie value to bypass the authentication process entirely. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor path that circumvents the intended security controls.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to systems running Digi-news 1.1 as it enables remote attackers to assume full administrative control over the application. The attack requires no local access or prior knowledge of administrator passwords, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that are publicly accessible. An attacker can simply manipulate the cookie value to include the administrator username and gain unrestricted access to all administrative functions including content management, user administration, and system configuration changes. This compromise can lead to complete system takeover and potential data breaches.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software applications, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts usage. The flaw represents an authentication bypass that allows attackers to operate under elevated privileges without proper authorization. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including patching the application to the latest version, implementing proper cookie validation mechanisms, and strengthening authentication controls. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious cookie manipulation patterns and implementing web application firewalls can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The recommended solution involves correcting the authentication logic in admin.php to ensure that all authentication requests properly validate both username and password components before granting administrative access.