CVE-2004-1526 in Hired Team Trial
Summary
by MITRE
Hired Team: Trial 2.0 and earlier and 2.200 does not limit how game players can kick other players off the server, including the administrator.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1526 affects Hired Team Trial versions 2.0 and earlier as well as version 2.200, representing a critical access control flaw in multiplayer gaming environments. This issue stems from insufficient authorization checks within the game server's player management system, allowing any connected player to potentially remove administrators or other users from the game session. The flaw exists in the server's privilege management mechanisms where the system fails to properly validate user permissions before executing kick commands, creating an arbitrary code execution vector through user manipulation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and privilege escalation in networked gaming applications. When a player attempts to kick another user, the server should verify that the requesting player possesses sufficient administrative privileges to perform such an action. However, in affected versions of Hired Team, this validation process is either completely absent or inadequately implemented, allowing any authenticated user to issue kick commands against any other player regardless of their role or status within the game. This represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where users should only have access to functions commensurate with their assigned permissions, as outlined in the CWE-284 access control weakness classification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple disruption of gameplay, creating potential security risks for game administrators and server operators. An attacker could exploit this weakness to gain control over server operations by removing key personnel, disrupting gameplay for other users, or even attempting to escalate their privileges through repeated kick attempts against administrators. This vulnerability directly violates the security principle of separation of duties, where critical system functions should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The attack surface is particularly concerning in multiplayer environments where multiple users connect to shared servers, as it allows for coordinated disruption attacks that could render the gaming experience unusable for legitimate users.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper access control mechanisms within the game server software. System administrators should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Hired Team that properly validate player privileges before executing kick commands, ensuring that only authorized users can remove others from the server. The solution requires implementing robust authentication and authorization checks that verify the requesting user's role and permissions against a predefined access control matrix. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing network-level restrictions and monitoring for unusual kick activity patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks through unauthorized access to system resources, and demonstrates the importance of proper privilege management in preventing unauthorized system access. Organizations should also implement regular security audits of their gaming infrastructure to identify similar authorization flaws that could compromise server integrity and user experience.