CVE-2004-1557 in MyWebServer
Summary
by MITRE
MyWebServer 1.0.3 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication, modify configuration, and read arbitrary files via a direct HTTP request to (1) /admin or (2) ServerProperties.html.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1557 affects MyWebServer version 1.0.3, a web server implementation that suffers from critical authentication bypass flaws. This vulnerability exists due to improper access control mechanisms within the server's administrative interfaces, specifically targeting two critical endpoints that should require authentication but do not. The flaw allows remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions without proper credentials, creating a significant security risk for systems running this software.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the server's failure to properly validate user authentication status when processing requests to administrative endpoints. When attackers send direct HTTP requests to the /admin or ServerProperties.html paths, the server does not perform adequate authentication checks before executing administrative operations. This represents a fundamental failure in the server's access control design and violates standard security principles for protecting administrative interfaces. The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over affected systems. Once authenticated, attackers can bypass all security measures protecting the web server configuration, allowing them to modify server settings, access sensitive configuration files, and read arbitrary files from the system. This capability enables attackers to escalate their privileges, modify server behavior, and potentially gain access to sensitive data stored on the server. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems, making it a critical security concern for any organization using this software version.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to protect their systems. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to a patched version of MyWebServer that properly implements authentication controls for administrative interfaces. Additionally, network segmentation should be implemented to isolate web servers from internal networks, and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to administrative endpoints to trusted IP addresses only. The use of intrusion detection systems can help monitor for suspicious access attempts to these endpoints, while regular security audits should verify that administrative interfaces are properly protected. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies and following security best practices such as those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and MITRE ATT&CK framework for protecting web server infrastructure against unauthorized access attempts.