CVE-2004-2524 in Autopilot
Summary
by MITRE
clogin.php in Benchmark Designs WHM AutoPilot 2.4.5 and earlier allows remote attackers to obtain plaintext username and password credentials by using the clogin_e and base64_encode functions to encode the desired user ID in the c parameter, then read the plaintext values in the resulting form.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2524 represents a critical security flaw in the Benchmark Designs WHM AutoPilot software version 2.4.5 and earlier. This issue manifests in the clogin.php script which handles authentication processes for the web hosting management system. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of user credentials during the authentication flow, creating an avenue for remote attackers to extract sensitive information from the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability relies on the manipulation of the clogin_e function combined with base64_encode operations within the software's authentication mechanism. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specific requests that include encoded user IDs in the c parameter. The system's failure to properly validate or sanitize these inputs allows the base64 encoding process to inadvertently expose plaintext credentials in the resulting HTML form output. This represents a classic case of insecure credential handling where the encoding mechanism becomes a vector for information disclosure rather than a security enhancement.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides attackers with direct access to legitimate user accounts within the WHM AutoPilot environment. This access could enable unauthorized system modifications, account takeovers, and potentially broader network infiltration. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this weakness from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system. The vulnerability affects the authentication integrity of the entire platform, potentially compromising multiple user accounts and system resources.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and demonstrates how improper input handling can lead to credential disclosure. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this represents a technique under T1566 for credential access through the exploitation of weak authentication mechanisms. The flaw also relates to T1078 for valid accounts usage, as successful exploitation would allow attackers to leverage legitimate credentials for further system compromise. Organizations using affected versions of WHM AutoPilot face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates to versions that address this credential handling flaw. System administrators should implement network-level restrictions to limit access to authentication endpoints and consider implementing additional authentication layers such as two-factor authentication. The code should be reviewed for proper input validation and output encoding practices, ensuring that sensitive data is never exposed through encoding mechanisms. Regular security audits of authentication flows and input sanitization processes are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases.