CVE-2005-1005 in PayProCart
Summary
by MITRE
ProfitCode PayProCart 3.0 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrative privileges to the admin control panel, as demonstrated via a direct request to adminshop/index.php with hex-encoded .. sequences in the ftoedit parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1005 affects ProfitCode PayProCart version 3.0, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that enables remote attackers to escalate privileges and gain administrative access to the system's control panel. This vulnerability specifically manifests through a path traversal attack vector that exploits improper input validation in the application's handling of the ftoedit parameter. The attack requires a simple HTTP request directed to the adminshop/index.php endpoint with specially crafted hex-encoded .. sequences that manipulate the file path traversal mechanism.
The technical flaw stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize and validate user-supplied input in the ftoedit parameter, creating an exploitable condition that allows attackers to traverse the file system directory structure. When the application processes the hex-encoded .. sequences, it fails to implement adequate input filtering or path validation mechanisms, enabling the attacker to manipulate the intended file path and access restricted administrative functions. This weakness directly maps to CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal vulnerabilities. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited without requiring any prior authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it allows unauthorized access to administrative interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the PayProCart system. Once authenticated, attackers can manipulate all aspects of the e-commerce platform including product management, user accounts, payment processing, and system configuration settings. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage this flaw from any location without requiring physical access to the system or local network presence. This creates significant risk for businesses relying on the platform, as unauthorized individuals could potentially steal sensitive customer data, modify product catalogs, alter pricing structures, or even redirect payments to malicious accounts. The attack can be executed through simple web browser requests, making it accessible to attackers with minimal technical expertise and increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective immediate fix involves implementing proper parameter validation that rejects or sanitizes any input containing directory traversal sequences, including both literal .. characters and their hex-encoded equivalents. Organizations should implement proper access controls and authentication checks at every endpoint, ensuring that administrative functions require valid authentication tokens and proper authorization levels before execution. Additionally, the application should enforce strict file path validation that prevents traversal outside of designated directories and implement the principle of least privilege for all system components. Security measures should include regular input validation testing, code reviews focusing on file path handling, and implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious path traversal patterns. The remediation efforts should align with ATT&CK technique T1078 which addresses valid accounts and privilege escalation, ensuring that even if attackers gain initial access, they cannot escalate privileges without proper authorization mechanisms in place. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring and logging for administrative access attempts to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive audit trails for security incident response activities.