CVE-2004-2257 in phpMyFAQ
Summary
by MITRE
phpMyFAQ 1.4.0 allows remote attackers to access the Image Manager to upload or delete images without authorization via a direct request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2257 affects phpMyFAQ version 1.4.0 and represents a critical authorization bypass flaw that allows remote attackers to manipulate the Image Manager component without proper authentication. This issue stems from insufficient access control mechanisms within the application's security architecture, specifically targeting the image management functionality that should be restricted to authorized administrators only.
The technical flaw manifests through a direct request vulnerability where attackers can bypass the standard authentication and authorization checks that should normally prevent unauthorized access to the Image Manager interface. This weakness enables malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions including uploading malicious files or deleting existing images from the server. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to properly validate user credentials or session tokens before allowing access to sensitive administrative functions, creating a path for privilege escalation through simple HTTP requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides attackers with persistent access to modify the web application's media resources, potentially leading to data corruption, defacement of web content, or even the deployment of malicious payloads through uploaded files. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to compromise the integrity of the web application's visual components, which may include logos, banners, or other graphical elements that are critical to the application's presentation layer. The ability to delete images could also disrupt the application's functionality and user experience, while unauthorized uploads could introduce backdoors or other malicious content.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should govern all web application access controls. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1505 Server Software Component, as it enables attackers to leverage legitimate application functionality for unauthorized access. Organizations using affected versions of phpMyFAQ should immediately implement mitigations including patching to the latest stable release, implementing proper access controls, and conducting thorough security audits of all administrative interfaces to prevent similar authorization bypass scenarios.
The remediation approach should focus on strengthening authentication mechanisms, implementing proper session management, and ensuring that all administrative functions require valid user credentials before execution. Additionally, network-level restrictions should be applied to limit access to administrative interfaces from trusted networks only, while implementing comprehensive logging and monitoring of administrative activities to detect unauthorized access attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses in other application components and ensure ongoing compliance with security best practices.