CVE-2004-2172 in Productcart
Summary
by MITRE
EarlyImpact ProductCart uses a weak encryption scheme to encrypt passwords, which allows remote attackers to obtain the password via a chosen plaintext attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2172 affects the EarlyImpact ProductCart e-commerce platform, which implemented a weak encryption scheme for password storage. This weakness stems from the use of inadequate cryptographic algorithms that fail to provide proper security guarantees for sensitive data protection. The implementation of such flawed encryption mechanisms represents a critical failure in the application's security architecture, as it directly compromises user authentication credentials and creates exploitable attack vectors for malicious actors.
The technical flaw manifests through the use of weak encryption algorithms that are susceptible to chosen plaintext attacks, a well-documented cryptographic vulnerability pattern that falls under the broader category of cryptographic weakness classifications. When attackers can manipulate input data and observe corresponding encrypted outputs, they can reverse-engineer the encryption process to derive original passwords. This particular vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of cryptographic security principles and violates established best practices for password protection. The chosen plaintext attack methodology allows adversaries to systematically determine encryption keys or algorithms by analyzing the relationship between known plaintext and its corresponding ciphertext, making the weak encryption scheme particularly dangerous.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of systems running affected ProductCart installations. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, potentially leading to data breaches, financial fraud, and system compromise. The vulnerability affects not only individual user accounts but also the overall integrity of the e-commerce platform, as compromised credentials can be used to manipulate product information, process fraudulent transactions, or access sensitive administrative functions. This type of vulnerability directly aligns with attack patterns documented in the attack framework, where weak cryptographic implementations serve as initial access vectors for more extensive compromise operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate cryptographic weakness and the underlying security architecture issues that allowed such flawed implementation to persist. Organizations should implement strong encryption standards using industry-approved algorithms such as AES with appropriate key lengths, ensuring that password hashing employs salted iterative functions like bcrypt or PBKDF2 rather than simple encryption. The remediation process requires comprehensive code review and replacement of all weak encryption implementations, along with proper security testing to verify cryptographic strength. Additionally, system administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potential cryptographic weaknesses and ensure compliance with established security standards including those outlined in the NIST guidelines for cryptographic practices. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of proper cryptographic implementation and the severe consequences that can result from inadequate security controls in web applications.