CVE-2005-4341 in Academic Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Blackboard Learning and Community Portal System in Academic Suite 6.3.1.424, 6.2.3.23, and other versions before 6 allows remote attackers to list all available categories via a blank category_id parameter to category.pl. NOTE: it is not clear whether this information is sensitive or not, so this might not be an exposure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4341 affects the Blackboard Learning and Community Portal System within the Academic Suite version 6.3.1.424, 6.2.3.23, and other affected versions prior to the patched release. This security flaw resides in the category.pl script which serves as a component for managing and displaying content categories within the learning management system. The issue manifests when the application processes a request containing a blank category_id parameter, allowing unauthorized remote attackers to enumerate all available categories within the system. This represents a directory traversal and information disclosure vulnerability that could potentially expose organizational data structures to malicious actors without requiring authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the category.pl script. When a blank or null category_id parameter is passed to the script, the application fails to properly sanitize or restrict the input, resulting in the disclosure of all accessible categories. This behavior creates an information exposure scenario where attackers can obtain a complete listing of category names, identifiers, and potentially related metadata without proper authorization. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which describes information exposure through improper input validation, and represents a classic case of insufficient output filtering that allows attackers to gain unauthorized visibility into system components. The flaw demonstrates weak access control mechanisms and inadequate parameter handling within the web application's backend processing logic.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability could enable attackers to gather intelligence about the educational institution's content organization structure and learning management system architecture. While the description notes uncertainty regarding whether the disclosed information is sensitive, the mere ability to enumerate categories provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that could inform subsequent attack vectors. The information disclosure could potentially reveal the institution's curriculum structure, course organization, and content categorization patterns that might be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001 for account discovery and T1592.001 for reconnaissance, as it enables unauthorized enumeration of system components. The exposure could facilitate targeted attacks against specific course categories or content areas that might contain additional vulnerabilities or sensitive materials.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing proper input validation and parameter sanitization within the category.pl script to prevent the processing of blank or malformed category_id parameters. Organizations should ensure that all input parameters are validated against expected formats and ranges before being processed by the application. The patch should enforce strict access controls to prevent unauthorized enumeration of categories, requiring proper authentication and authorization checks before returning any category information. Additionally, implementing proper logging and monitoring of category enumeration requests can help detect suspicious activity patterns. System administrators should also consider implementing network-level controls such as firewalls and access control lists to restrict access to administrative scripts and endpoints. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and input validation standards as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for web application security. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other components of their learning management systems and related web applications.