CVE-2005-1736 in PROMS
Summary
by MITRE
PROMS 0.11 does not properly handle "certain combinations of rights," which gives more rights to users than intended.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1736 affects PROMS 0.11, a system that manages user permissions and access controls. This issue represents a critical authorization flaw that undermines the integrity of the system's security model by allowing unauthorized privilege escalation through improper rights management. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of permission combinations within the system's access control mechanism, creating a scenario where users can accumulate privileges beyond their intended authorization levels.
The technical flaw manifests in the system's failure to properly validate and enforce the principle of least privilege when processing specific combinations of user rights. This weakness allows attackers to exploit the system's permission handling logic by constructing valid permission sets that, when combined, exceed the intended access levels. The vulnerability specifically impacts the authorization subsystem where multiple permission bits or roles are processed together, creating a path for privilege escalation that bypasses normal access control checks. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues where systems fail to properly enforce authorization policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to gain elevated privileges without proper authentication or authorization. An attacker who can manipulate the permission combinations could potentially access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or perform administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security posture of the system by allowing users to accumulate rights beyond their intended scope, which could lead to data breaches, system compromise, or unauthorized access to critical resources. This issue particularly impacts environments where PROMS is used for managing user access to sensitive information systems.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and access control enforcement mechanisms within the PROMS system. Organizations should ensure that all permission combinations are thoroughly validated against the intended access levels and that the system enforces strict authorization policies. The recommended approach includes implementing proper privilege validation routines that check each permission combination against a comprehensive access control matrix and ensuring that no unauthorized privilege accumulation occurs. Additionally, regular security audits of permission configurations and implementation of automated access control testing should be conducted to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper authorization design and highlights the need for robust access control validation mechanisms in security-critical systems. The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through improper access control implementations.