CVE-2004-1819 in 4nalbum
Summary
by MITRE
4nalbum 0.92 for PHP-Nuke 6.5 through 7.0 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a direct request to displaycategory.php, which reveals the path in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1819 affects 4nalbum version 0.92 when integrated with PHP-Nuke 6.5 through 7.0 systems. This represents a classic information disclosure flaw that occurs when the application fails to properly handle error conditions, specifically during category display operations. The vulnerability manifests when an attacker directly requests the displaycategory.php script, causing the application to generate an error message that inadvertently exposes the server's file system path structure. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and represents a significant security risk as it provides attackers with crucial system information that can be leveraged for further exploitation.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate error handling within the 4nalbum module's displaycategory.php script. When processing certain requests, the application does not properly validate or sanitize input parameters before attempting to access system resources. This results in the application throwing an error that includes the full file system path where the vulnerable script resides. The error message typically contains the absolute path to the PHP-Nuke installation directory, which can include sensitive information about the server configuration and file structure. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates without requiring authentication or specific privileges, making it easily exploitable by any remote attacker who can access the web application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with a critical foothold for more sophisticated attacks. The exposed file system paths can be used to map the application's directory structure, potentially revealing other sensitive files or directories that might contain additional vulnerabilities. Attackers can use this information to craft more targeted attacks, including directory traversal attempts or to identify other modules that might be vulnerable to similar issues. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which involves discovering file and directory permissions, as the disclosed paths can reveal access patterns and system organization. This information disclosure can be particularly damaging in environments where the application server is not properly secured or where the disclosed paths contain sensitive configuration files.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the 4nalbum module to version 0.93 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper error handling. System administrators should also implement proper input validation and sanitization procedures to prevent malformed requests from causing error conditions that reveal system information. Additionally, the web server configuration should be adjusted to suppress detailed error messages from being displayed to end users, instead showing generic error pages that do not contain system-specific information. The implementation of proper logging mechanisms can also help detect and respond to exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can filter out direct requests to potentially vulnerable scripts and monitor for patterns that indicate attempts to exploit this information disclosure vulnerability. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper error handling and the principle of least privilege in web application security, as it illustrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can provide attackers with significant reconnaissance capabilities that can lead to more serious compromises.