CVE-2004-1771 in scalable ogo
Summary
by MITRE
scalable ogo (sogo) 1.0 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended permissions and view private appointments of other users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2017
The scalable ogo (sogo) 1.0 vulnerability represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the security model of the application. This issue affects version 1.0 of the scalable ogo software, which is designed to provide web-based access to calendar and collaboration features. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of user permissions within the application's authorization mechanism, creating a path for authenticated users to exploit weaknesses in the access control system. Remote attackers who have valid login credentials can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to private appointment data belonging to other users within the same system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a failure in the permission checking logic that governs user access to calendar entries. When users authenticate to the sogo application, the system should verify that each user has appropriate authorization to view specific calendar appointments. However, the flaw allows authenticated users to manipulate access requests or bypass the normal permission validation process. This typically occurs through improper input validation or inadequate session management that fails to properly enforce access controls between users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application level rather than requiring privileged system access or exploiting lower-level system vulnerabilities. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in permission checking mechanisms, specifically categorized under CWE-284 which addresses improper access control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the privacy and confidentiality guarantees that users expect from collaborative software systems. An attacker can potentially access sensitive personal information, business schedules, meeting details, and other private calendar data that should remain confidential to individual users. This creates significant risks for organizations using sogo for corporate collaboration, as it could lead to unauthorized disclosure of strategic meetings, confidential business dealings, or personal information of employees. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not need physical access to the system or network, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where network access is not strictly controlled. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and credential access, as the vulnerability exploits legitimate user credentials to gain unauthorized access.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the sogo application to version 1.1 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the sogo application, enforce strict access controls through firewall rules, and conduct regular security audits of authentication and authorization mechanisms. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual access patterns or unauthorized access attempts can help identify exploitation of this vulnerability. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary features, enforcing strong authentication mechanisms, and regularly reviewing user access permissions to minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The fix typically involves strengthening the permission validation logic and ensuring proper session management to prevent unauthorized access to user data. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can quickly detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts of this type of access control vulnerability.