CVE-2003-0599 in phpGroupWare
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the Virtual File System (VFS) capability for phpGroupWare 0.9.16preRC and versions before 0.9.14.004 with unknown implications, related to the VFS path being under the web document root.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0599 represents a critical security flaw within the Virtual File System implementation of phpGroupWare version 0.9.16preRC and earlier releases. This issue specifically impacts the VFS functionality that allows applications to interact with file systems through virtualized interfaces. The vulnerability manifests when VFS paths are configured to reside under the web document root, creating a dangerous condition that could be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. The affected versions include all releases prior to 0.9.14.004, indicating a prolonged period during which this flaw remained unaddressed. This represents a fundamental design weakness in how the application handles file system access controls when virtual paths intersect with web-accessible directories.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper path validation and access control mechanisms within the VFS implementation. When virtual file system paths are positioned beneath the web document root, the application fails to properly enforce security boundaries that should prevent web-based access to internal system files. This misconfiguration creates a path traversal condition where attackers can potentially navigate beyond intended file access boundaries and retrieve sensitive information or execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability essentially allows for unauthorized file system operations through the web interface, bypassing normal security controls that should protect the underlying system from web-based attacks. This flaw operates at the intersection of web application security and file system access controls, creating a particularly dangerous scenario for web-based collaborative platforms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, potentially enabling complete system compromise through unauthorized file access and manipulation. Attackers could leverage this weakness to access configuration files, user data, application source code, or even system binaries that should remain protected from web-based access. The vulnerability's exploitation could lead to data breaches, privilege escalation, and potential complete system takeover depending on the specific implementation details and system permissions. Organizations running affected phpGroupWare installations face significant risk of unauthorized access to their collaborative environment's underlying file systems, which could contain sensitive business data, user credentials, or application configurations. The impact is particularly severe for environments where phpGroupWare serves as a central collaboration platform with extensive user access and file sharing capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2003-0599 should focus on immediate version upgrades to phpGroupWare 0.9.14.004 or later releases that contain the necessary security patches. Organizations must also implement proper file system access controls by ensuring that VFS paths are configured outside of the web document root and that appropriate access controls are enforced. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional protective layers to prevent exploitation attempts. Security configuration reviews should include verification that virtual file system paths do not overlap with web-accessible directories. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-73 Path Traversal, representing a classic security misconfiguration that allows unauthorized access to file system resources. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques, as attackers can leverage path traversal to bypass normal access controls and maintain persistent access to target systems. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar misconfigurations in other applications and systems that might present similar attack vectors.