CVE-2004-1828 in Vcard
Summary
by MITRE
Vcard 2.9 and possibly other versions does not require authorization to run uninstall.php, which could allow remote attackers to uninstall Vcard and delete database tables via a direct request to uninstall.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1828 affects Vcard version 2.9 and potentially other iterations of the software, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's authorization mechanisms. This issue stems from the absence of proper access controls within the uninstall.php script, which allows any remote attacker to execute uninstallation procedures without requiring legitimate authentication credentials. The vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in the principle of least privilege, where administrative operations should be restricted to authorized users only.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the uninstall.php file lacking any form of user authentication or authorization checks before executing database deletion operations. When a remote attacker accesses this script directly, the system processes the uninstallation sequence without verifying the requester's credentials or privileges. This creates an arbitrary code execution scenario where malicious actors can trigger database table deletion and system uninstallation processes. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-284 which describes improper access control issues, specifically where applications fail to properly enforce access restrictions for privileged operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe consequences for systems running affected Vcard versions. Attackers can leverage this weakness to completely remove the application from the target system while simultaneously destroying critical database tables containing user information, contact data, and potentially other sensitive records. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to include data loss, system compromise, and potential escalation to broader network infiltration. The vulnerability's exploitability is particularly concerning because it requires no specialized knowledge beyond basic web application interaction, making it accessible to attackers with minimal technical expertise.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers application execution through command and scripting interpreter. In this case, the attacker can effectively command the system to execute uninstallation procedures through direct web requests. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting access to uninstall.php through web server configuration, implementing authentication mechanisms for administrative scripts, and ensuring proper file permissions are enforced. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of implementing proper input validation and access control measures in all administrative functions of web applications. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security audits of their web applications to identify similar authorization flaws and ensure that all privileged operations require proper authentication before execution.