CVE-2004-1704 in WpQuiz
Summary
by MITRE
WpQuiz 2.60b1 through 2.60b8 allows remote attackers to gain privileges via a direct request to adminrestore.php in the extras directory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1704 affects WpQuiz versions 2.60b1 through 2.60b8, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that enables remote attackers to execute administrative functions without proper authentication. This vulnerability resides within the application's directory structure where the adminrestore.php file is accessible through direct requests, bypassing normal authentication mechanisms that should protect administrative functions. The flaw demonstrates a classic lack of access control validation, where the system fails to verify user credentials or roles before executing sensitive administrative operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the WpQuiz application framework. When an attacker sends a direct HTTP request to the extras/adminrestore.php endpoint, the application processes the request without verifying whether the requesting user possesses administrative privileges. This represents a fundamental security architecture flaw that violates the principle of least privilege and proper authorization checks. The vulnerability falls under CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper access control, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers exploitation of remote services for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to perform administrative functions such as restoring database backups, modifying system configurations, or potentially gaining full control over the affected system. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code, modify user accounts, delete content, or establish persistent access to the compromised system. The remote nature of the attack means that an attacker does not need physical access or local network presence to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous for web applications. The vulnerability affects the application's integrity and availability, potentially leading to complete system compromise and data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching of the affected WpQuiz versions to the latest stable releases that contain proper authentication checks and access controls. System administrators should implement network segmentation and firewall rules to restrict access to administrative endpoints, ensuring that only authorized personnel can reach sensitive directories. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and authentication mechanisms, such as requiring session tokens or API keys for administrative functions, would prevent unauthorized access to the adminrestore.php file. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar access control flaws in other components of the application stack, while also monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to administrative interfaces. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies and proper access control enforcement throughout the entire application lifecycle.