CVE-2005-1784 in Hosting Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Hosting Controller 6.1 HotFix 2.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to steal passwords and gain privileges via a modified emailaddress parameter in an updateprofile action for UserProfile.asp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1784 affects Hosting Controller version 6.1 HotFix 2.0 and earlier, representing a critical authentication and authorization flaw that enables remote attackers to compromise user accounts and escalate privileges. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and improper parameter handling within the UserProfile.asp component, which processes user profile updates through the updateprofile action. The vulnerability specifically targets the emailaddress parameter, which when manipulated by an attacker can be exploited to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to user accounts. The flaw resides in the application's failure to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input before processing it within the profile update functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of parameter manipulation that exploits weak input validation controls. When the emailaddress parameter is modified and submitted through the updateprofile action, the system fails to properly validate the input against expected formats or authorized user permissions. This allows an attacker to craft malicious requests that can manipulate the application's behavior to either steal existing user credentials or create new privileged access points. The vulnerability essentially creates a path for privilege escalation and credential theft without requiring legitimate authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for web-based hosting environments where user account management is critical. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely, requiring no local system access or prior authentication to initiate the attack vector.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft to encompass potential full system compromise within hosting environments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to multiple user accounts, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, and unauthorized modifications to hosting configurations. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of user data within the Hosting Controller platform, as unauthorized access could enable attackers to view sensitive information, modify user profiles, or even escalate privileges to administrative levels. In hosting environments where multiple customers share the same infrastructure, this vulnerability could allow attackers to move laterally between user accounts and potentially compromise the entire hosting platform. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can target vulnerable systems from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or network proximity.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and parameter sanitization within the affected application components. Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches or hotfixes that address the specific input validation flaws in the UserProfile.asp component. The implementation of proper parameter validation should include strict input sanitization, length restrictions, and format validation for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in authentication and authorization contexts. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense by monitoring for suspicious parameter modifications and blocking malformed requests. Security best practices should include regular security assessments of web applications, input validation testing, and ensuring that all application components properly handle user-supplied data through proper sanitization and validation mechanisms. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a common attack pattern that could be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1110 for credential access and T1078 for valid accounts usage. Organizations should also implement principle of least privilege controls and regularly audit user access permissions to minimize the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.