CVE-2005-3434 in Newsworld
Summary
by MITRE
Archilles Newsworld before 1.5.0-rc1 stores (1) account.nwd and (2) session.nwd under the web root with insufficient access control, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, hashed passwords, and session IDs, and gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3434 represents a critical security flaw in Archilles Newsworld software versions prior to 1.5.0-rc1. This issue stems from improper file placement and access control mechanisms within the web application's architecture. The vulnerability specifically affects two critical files account.nwd and session.nwd which are stored within the web root directory structure, making them directly accessible through web requests without proper authentication or authorization checks. This misconfiguration creates a fundamental security breach that exposes sensitive user data and system credentials to remote attackers who can access these files through standard web browsing mechanisms.
The technical implementation flaw lies in the application's failure to enforce proper access controls on sensitive data files stored in publicly accessible directories. When files are placed directly under the web root without appropriate security measures, they become immediately available to any remote user who can construct the appropriate URL requests. The account.nwd file contains user credentials including usernames and hashed passwords, while the session.nwd file stores active session identifiers that can be leveraged to hijack user sessions. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-276, which describes inadequate access control mechanisms, and represents a classic example of insecure direct object references where attackers can directly access files through predictable paths.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Remote attackers can obtain complete user credential information including usernames and password hashes, which can then be subjected to offline password cracking attacks using tools like john the ripper or hashcat. Additionally, session ID exposure allows for session hijacking attacks where malicious actors can impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to their accounts. The privilege escalation aspect of this vulnerability means that attackers who successfully obtain session information can potentially access administrative functions or perform actions beyond normal user permissions. This vulnerability can be exploited through simple web requests and does not require special tools or complex attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application is publicly accessible.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials and T1566 which covers credential access through network sniffing and file system access. The vulnerability demonstrates poor security practices in application design and deployment where sensitive data is not properly protected through access control mechanisms. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including moving sensitive files outside the web root directory, implementing proper access controls using web server configuration files, and ensuring that all sensitive data files are protected through authentication mechanisms. Additionally, regular security audits should verify that no sensitive files are inadvertently placed in publicly accessible directories, and automated scanning tools should be deployed to identify similar misconfigurations across the entire application infrastructure. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and conducting thorough security reviews during application development to prevent such fundamental access control failures from occurring in the first place.