CVE-2005-2565 in Gravity Board X
Summary
by MITRE
Gravity Board X (GBX) 1.1 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via (1) a 1 in the perm parameter to deletethread.php or a direct request to (2) ban.php, (3) addnews.php, (4) banned.php, (5) boardstats.php, (6) adminform.php, (7) /forms/admininfo.php, (8) /forms/announcements.php, (9) forms/banform.php, or (10) other pages in the /forms directory, which reveal the path in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2565 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Gravity Board X version 1.1, a web-based bulletin board system that was widely deployed in early web applications. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and error handling mechanisms within the application's administrative interfaces, creating a pathway for remote attackers to extract sensitive system information through carefully crafted HTTP requests. The flaw specifically affects multiple administrative scripts including deletethread.php, ban.php, addnews.php, and various forms within the application's administrative directory structure, making it particularly dangerous as it spans across multiple attack vectors within the system's administrative functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the application's failure to properly sanitize user input parameters, particularly the perm parameter in deletethread.php and direct access attempts to administrative scripts. When attackers submit requests with malformed parameters or attempt direct access to protected administrative pages, the application generates error messages that inadvertently reveal critical system path information. This occurs because the application lacks proper input validation and error handling procedures that would normally prevent such information leakage. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no authentication to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by any remote attacker with basic web browsing capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked path information provides attackers with crucial insights into the server's file structure and application deployment configuration. This information can be leveraged for further exploitation attempts including directory traversal attacks, local file inclusion vulnerabilities, and other advanced persistent threats. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad by exposing system paths that could reveal the underlying operating system, application installation directory, and potentially database connection strings or other sensitive configuration details. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-200: Information Exposure, which specifically addresses the unintentional disclosure of information that could aid in subsequent attacks.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several tactics outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to initial access and reconnaissance phases. Attackers can use the leaked path information to map the application's internal structure and identify potential additional vulnerabilities within the system. The attack pattern follows ATT&CK technique T1083: File and Directory Discovery, where adversaries gather information about file systems and directory structures. Additionally, this vulnerability could enable attackers to progress toward privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network infrastructure, as the disclosed paths may reveal database connection details or other system configuration elements that could be exploited in subsequent attack phases.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation, error handling, and access control mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach includes sanitizing all user input parameters, implementing comprehensive error handling that does not reveal system paths or internal application details, and enforcing strict access controls for administrative functions. Organizations should also implement proper logging and monitoring to detect unusual access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to web application security standards such as those outlined in OWASP Top 10, particularly focusing on input validation and error handling best practices to prevent information disclosure vulnerabilities that could compromise system security.