CVE-2005-3687 in AutoPilot
Summary
by MITRE
cancel_account.php in WHM AutoPilot 2.5.30 and earlier allows remote attackers to cancel requests for arbitrary accounts via a modified c parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3687 represents a critical access control flaw within WHM AutoPilot version 2.5.30 and earlier systems. This issue resides in the cancel_account.php script which processes account cancellation requests. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and authentication checks that allow malicious actors to manipulate the c parameter through crafted requests. Attackers can exploit this weakness to submit modification requests for accounts they do not own, effectively bypassing the intended authorization mechanisms that should restrict account management operations to legitimate users or administrators.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insecure direct object reference where the c parameter serves as a direct reference to account identifiers without proper validation or authorization checks. This type of flaw falls under CWE-639 which specifically addresses Insecure Direct Object Reference vulnerabilities. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through remote means without requiring any special privileges or authentication credentials from the target system. The modification of the c parameter allows attackers to specify arbitrary account identifiers, potentially enabling them to cancel accounts belonging to other users or even administrative accounts, depending on the system configuration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized account cancellations and can lead to significant service disruption and potential data integrity issues. An attacker could systematically target multiple user accounts to cause service degradation, customer dissatisfaction, or even financial loss if the affected system manages billing or subscription services. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that remains active as long as the affected software version is deployed, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that fail to patch or update their systems promptly. This type of vulnerability can also serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, as demonstrated by ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials usage and privilege escalation through compromised accounts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-3687 should focus on immediate patching of the affected WHM AutoPilot installations to the latest available version that contains proper input validation and authentication controls. Organizations should implement proper parameter validation mechanisms that verify the authenticity and authorization of account identifiers before processing cancellation requests. The fix should include implementing robust access control checks that ensure users can only perform operations on accounts they legitimately own or have administrative privileges for. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of account cancellation requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and firewall rules can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to limit access to administrative scripts and reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and proper access control implementations in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive user account management operations.