CVE-2004-1723 in PHP-Fusion
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) updateuser.php and (2) forums_prune.php scripts in PHP-Fusion 4.00 allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a direct HTTP request, which reveals the installation path in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1723 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within PHP-Fusion version 4.00 that exposes installation paths through error messages generated by two specific scripts. This vulnerability affects both updateuser.php and forums_prune.php components, making it particularly concerning as it impacts core user management and forum maintenance functionalities. The issue stems from improper error handling mechanisms that fail to sanitize or suppress sensitive path information when processing HTTP requests, creating an information exposure condition that directly reveals the system's file structure to remote attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the scripts failing to properly validate or filter input parameters during HTTP request processing, resulting in error messages that contain the complete server path where PHP-Fusion is installed. This type of information disclosure occurs when the application generates error messages without adequate sanitization of path variables, allowing attackers to gain insights into the underlying file system structure. The vulnerability specifically manifests when remote attackers submit direct HTTP requests to the affected scripts, triggering the error conditions that expose the installation path. This represents a classic case of insufficient error handling and output sanitization, which falls under the CWE-200 category for exposure of sensitive information.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly weakens the security posture of systems running PHP-Fusion 4.00 by providing attackers with crucial information needed for subsequent exploitation attempts. The exposed installation paths enable attackers to craft more targeted attacks, potentially leading to directory traversal exploits, privilege escalation, or other advanced attack vectors. The vulnerability also violates fundamental security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the issue of information disclosure that can aid in system reconnaissance. Attackers can leverage this information to understand the application's deployment structure, identify potential weak points in the file system permissions, and plan more sophisticated attacks against the system.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper error handling procedures that prevent sensitive information from being exposed in error messages. System administrators should immediately upgrade to a patched version of PHP-Fusion that addresses this information disclosure issue, as the vulnerability affects core application components. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output sanitization measures across all application scripts can prevent similar issues from occurring. The remediation process should include configuring the web server to suppress detailed error messages and implementing custom error handling that does not reveal system paths or internal application structures. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify and remediate similar information disclosure vulnerabilities in other applications and systems within their environment, following the ATT&CK framework's guidance on reconnaissance and credential access phases where such information exposure commonly occurs.