CVE-2004-2198 in Duclassmate
Summary
by MITRE
account.asp in DUware DUclassmate 1.0 through 1.1 allows remote attackers to change the passwords for arbitrary users by modifying the MM_recordId parameter on the "My Account" page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2198 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in DUware DUclassmate versions 1.0 through 1.1. This issue resides within the account.asp component of the web application, specifically targeting the "My Account" page functionality. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and improper access control mechanisms that fail to verify whether the authenticated user has legitimate authorization to modify account details for other users. The vulnerability manifests when attackers manipulate the MM_recordId parameter, which serves as a unique identifier for user records within the application's database. This parameter is typically used internally to reference specific user accounts, but due to the lack of proper validation, attackers can substitute this identifier with any valid user ID from the system, effectively enabling password changes for arbitrary accounts without proper authentication. The flaw directly violates security principle of least privilege and demonstrates a classic case of insecure direct object reference vulnerability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the application logic level where the MM_recordId parameter is accepted without proper validation against the currently authenticated user's permissions. When a user navigates to the "My Account" page, the application expects to operate on the authenticated user's own record, but the absence of access control checks means that any user can submit a modified MM_recordId value to target different user accounts. This allows attackers to exploit the application's trust in the parameter value and perform unauthorized password modifications across multiple user accounts. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it enables account takeover capabilities that can be leveraged for further attacks within the system. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-639 which defines insecure direct object references, and represents a clear violation of the principle that applications should validate user access rights before allowing data modification operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple password changes, as it provides attackers with unauthorized access to multiple user accounts within the DUclassmate system. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can reset passwords for any user account, potentially gaining persistent access to sensitive information, modifying user permissions, or using compromised accounts for further malicious activities. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring any special privileges or local system access, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where the application may be accessible from external networks. This flaw essentially undermines the entire authentication and authorization framework of the application, as it allows attackers to bypass the normal account management workflows that should only be accessible to authorized users. The impact is amplified in educational environments where such applications often contain sensitive student and faculty information, potentially exposing personal data, academic records, and institutional communications to unauthorized parties.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary fix involves implementing proper input validation and access control checks that verify the authenticated user's permissions before allowing any account modifications. The application should ensure that the MM_recordId parameter corresponds to the currently authenticated user's own account, rather than accepting arbitrary values. This can be achieved through proper session management, user context validation, and implementing proper authorization checks. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as rate limiting on account modification attempts, logging and monitoring of suspicious activities, and ensuring that all user account management functions require proper authentication tokens. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, and organizations should implement defensive measures that align with the mitigation strategies outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK matrix for credential access and privilege escalation. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar insecure direct object reference patterns that may exist in other components of the application or related systems.