CVE-2004-2578 in phpGroupWare
Summary
by MITRE
phpGroupWare before 0.9.16.002 transmits the (1) header admin and (2) setup passwords in plaintext via cookies, which allows remote attackers to sniff passwords.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2578 affects phpGroupWare versions prior to 0.9.16.002 and represents a critical security flaw in how the application handles authentication credentials. This issue falls under the category of insecure credential transmission, specifically addressing the improper handling of administrative and setup passwords through cookie mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper encryption or obfuscation for sensitive authentication data, creating an exploitable condition that directly violates fundamental security principles for credential protection.
The technical flaw manifests when phpGroupWare stores administrative and setup passwords within cookies and transmits them in plaintext format across network connections. This design decision creates a significant attack surface where network traffic can be intercepted using standard packet sniffing tools such as tcpdump, wireshark, or similar network monitoring utilities. The plaintext transmission occurs because the application does not implement secure cookie attributes such as HttpOnly, Secure, or SameSite flags, nor does it employ any form of cryptographic protection for the cookie values themselves. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-312, which describes the exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of data in cookies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over affected phpGroupWare installations. Once an attacker captures these plaintext credentials through network sniffing, they can immediately assume administrative privileges and access all system functionalities including user management, configuration changes, and potentially access to underlying databases. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where network traffic is not properly secured or where attackers have access to network monitoring capabilities. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that remains exploitable until the software is properly updated or patched, making it a high-priority concern for system administrators managing legacy phpGroupWare installations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-2578 involve immediate software updates to phpGroupWare version 0.9.16.002 or later, which implements proper credential handling mechanisms including encrypted cookie storage and secure transmission protocols. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and encryption measures such as vpn tunnels or ssl/tls termination to protect against passive network sniffing attacks. Additionally, system administrators should enforce proper cookie security attributes including the Secure flag to ensure cookies are only transmitted over encrypted connections and HttpOnly flags to prevent client-side script access to sensitive cookie data. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following security best practices for credential management and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers credential harvesting through network sniffing attacks. The remediation process should also include comprehensive network monitoring to detect and prevent potential exploitation attempts while ensuring that all administrative interfaces are properly secured through multiple layers of authentication and access control measures.