CVE-2005-2998 in PHP Advanced Transfer Manager
Summary
by MITRE
PHP Advanced Transfer Manager 1.30 has a default password for the administrator user, which allows remote attackers to upload and execute arbitrary PHP files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2998 represents a critical security flaw in PHP Advanced Transfer Manager version 1.30, specifically targeting the authentication mechanism of the application. This issue stems from a fundamental design flaw where the software ships with a hardcoded default username and password combination for administrative access. The default credentials create a persistent backdoor that remains accessible throughout the application's lifecycle without proper configuration or credential changes by administrators. This vulnerability directly violates security best practices and represents a classic example of insecure default configurations that can be exploited by malicious actors without requiring advanced technical skills or prior access to the system.
The technical implementation of this flaw allows remote attackers to gain administrative privileges by simply knowing the default login credentials, which typically remain unchanged in production environments. Once authenticated, the attacker can leverage the administrative access to upload and execute arbitrary PHP files, effectively compromising the entire web server hosting the application. This privilege escalation capability transforms a simple authentication bypass into a complete system compromise, as the attacker can execute arbitrary code on the server with the privileges of the web application user. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through standard web browser interfaces without requiring specialized tools or deep technical knowledge of the underlying system architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond the immediate compromise of a single application instance. Remote code execution capabilities enable attackers to establish persistent access, install backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or use the compromised server as a launching point for further attacks within the network. The default password scenario creates a widespread risk across all installations that have not been properly configured, as attackers can systematically target known vulnerable versions using automated scanning tools. This vulnerability also demonstrates poor security hygiene in software development practices, where applications should never ship with default credentials that remain active in production environments without explicit administrator action to change them.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate administrative action to address the default credential issue. System administrators must change the default administrator password to a strong, unique credential immediately upon installation and ensure that default accounts are disabled or removed from production systems. The remediation process should include comprehensive security audits of all installed applications to identify similar default credential vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement strict configuration management policies that mandate credential changes during software deployment and establish automated scanning processes to detect vulnerable applications. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-798, which addresses the use of hardcoded credentials, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers legitimate credentials obtained through default accounts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other applications and systems that may present similar default credential vulnerabilities.