CVE-2005-3766 in Exponent
Summary
by MITRE
Exponent CMS 0.96.3 and later versions stores sensitive user pages under the web document root with insufficient access control even though certain permissions are specified, which allows attackers to access the pages by browsing uploaded files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3766 represents a critical access control flaw in Exponent CMS versions 0.96.3 and later. This issue stems from improper file management practices where the content management system fails to enforce adequate access restrictions on user-generated content. The flaw allows unauthorized users to gain access to sensitive pages and data that should be protected based on user permissions, fundamentally undermining the security model of the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the CMS stores user pages within the web document root directory structure without proper access control mechanisms. This design flaw creates a situation where files that should be restricted to authorized users become publicly accessible through simple web browsing. The system's permission system appears to be bypassed or inadequately enforced during the file storage process, allowing attackers to directly access sensitive content by navigating to specific URLs.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations using Exponent CMS as it enables unauthorized data access and potential information disclosure. Attackers can exploit this weakness to access confidential user information, administrative content, or other sensitive data that should be protected by the CMS's permission system. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it may allow for further exploitation through the access to administrative interfaces or sensitive configuration files that are stored in the same accessible location.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which describes improper access control, and represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this issue maps to privilege escalation and credential access techniques where attackers can gain unauthorized access to resources they should not be able to reach. The flaw demonstrates poor secure coding practices in file management and access control implementation within the CMS architecture.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including restricting file permissions on the web document root, implementing proper access control enforcement, and ensuring that user-generated content is stored outside of publicly accessible directories. Additionally, regular security audits should verify that all sensitive files are properly protected and that access control mechanisms are functioning correctly. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring access logs for unauthorized attempts to access restricted content, as this vulnerability can be exploited through simple web browsing techniques that may not be immediately obvious to security monitoring systems.