CVE-2005-1737 in PROMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unknown vulnerabilities in PROMS 0.11 allow "non-authorized users" to (1) view or modify the project member list or (2) modify the todos list.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-1737 affects PROMS version 0.11, a project management system that appears to have been developed for collaborative software development environments. This vulnerability represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the fundamental security principles of authentication and authorization within the application. The issue stems from insufficient validation of user permissions, allowing unauthorized individuals to gain access to sensitive project management functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
The technical flaw manifests as a lack of proper access controls for two distinct but related administrative functions within the PROMS system. Non-authorized users can exploit this vulnerability to either view the project member list, which may contain sensitive information about team composition, roles, and access rights, or to modify the todos list, which represents task assignments, deadlines, and project progress tracking. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where unauthorized access is granted to functions that should require elevated permissions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and specifically relates to the failure to implement proper authentication checks before allowing access to sensitive operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential disruption of project management processes and compromise of project integrity. When unauthorized users can view member lists, they gain insights into team structures, potentially identifying key personnel or access patterns that could be exploited in social engineering attacks. The ability to modify todos lists creates opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate project timelines, alter task assignments, or introduce false information that could significantly impact project delivery and stakeholder confidence. This vulnerability particularly affects collaborative environments where project management systems serve as central repositories for sensitive business information and operational data.
Organizations utilizing PROMS 0.11 should immediately implement mitigations including comprehensive access control reviews, mandatory authentication requirements for all project management functions, and immediate patching of the application to address the underlying access control flaws. System administrators should conduct thorough audits of user permissions and implement principle of least privilege enforcement. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in collaborative systems and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting through unauthorized access to project management tools. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for unusual access patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. Given the age of this vulnerability, it represents a legacy security issue that highlights the importance of regular security assessments and patch management processes to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities in widely used project management systems.