CVE-2005-4722 in tmsPUBLISHER
Summary
by MITRE
_Request_Message.cfm in tmsPUBLISHER 3.3 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via an invalid id argument to pagename.cfm, which reveals the installation path in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4722 affects tmsPUBLISHER version 3.3 and represents a classic information disclosure flaw that exposes system paths through improper error handling mechanisms. This vulnerability resides within the Request_Message.cfm component of the tmsPUBLISHER application, specifically when processing invalid id arguments passed to pagename.cfm. The flaw demonstrates a clear violation of secure coding practices where the application fails to sanitize user input properly before using it in error generation contexts. When an attacker submits an invalid id parameter, the system responds with an error message that inadvertently reveals the absolute installation path of the vulnerable application, creating a significant information leak that could be exploited by malicious actors to gain insights into the target system's architecture and deployment configuration. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-209, which specifically addresses the disclosure of error messages that contain sensitive information, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1212 which focuses on information discovery through error message analysis.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal effort from attackers, as they only need to craft a malformed request containing an invalid id parameter to trigger the vulnerable error response. The installation path disclosure occurs because the error handling routine in pagename.cfm does not properly validate or sanitize the input parameter before incorporating it into the error message generation process. This creates a direct information leak that can be leveraged by threat actors to map the application's file system structure, potentially enabling further attacks such as path traversal or directory traversal exploits. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it provides attackers with precise knowledge of the application's deployment location, which can be used to craft more sophisticated attacks or to identify potential secondary vulnerabilities within the same system. The error message contains sufficient information to allow an attacker to determine the exact directory structure of the vulnerable system, which may include sensitive paths, configuration file locations, or other system artifacts that could be exploited for privilege escalation or additional information gathering.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it significantly weakens the security posture of the affected system by providing attackers with critical infrastructure information. This information disclosure can facilitate more advanced attack vectors including but not limited to local file inclusion attacks, remote code execution attempts, or privilege escalation exploits that rely on knowledge of system paths and file locations. Organizations running affected versions of tmsPUBLISHER should consider this vulnerability as a potential entry point for more serious security incidents, particularly in environments where the application is deployed with elevated privileges or where the disclosed paths might contain sensitive configuration data. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor input validation practices that could indicate broader security weaknesses within the application's codebase, suggesting that other components might be similarly vulnerable to input manipulation attacks. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in web applications where error messages are often displayed to end users without proper sanitization, and it highlights the importance of implementing comprehensive error handling that does not expose system internals to unauthorized parties.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-4722 should focus on implementing proper input validation and error handling mechanisms that prevent sensitive information disclosure. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied inputs are properly validated and sanitized before being processed by the application, with error messages generated using generic templates that do not contain system-specific information. The application should be updated to version 3.4 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through improved error handling and input validation routines. Security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that error messages are not displayed to end users in production environments, and that all error handling routines are designed to provide minimal information to prevent information leakage. System administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and should regularly audit application logs for evidence of successful information disclosure attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious input patterns that target similar vulnerabilities, and should ensure that all system components are kept up to date with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. The remediation process should also include comprehensive code reviews to identify other potential error handling issues that might expose system information in similar ways, ensuring that the application follows secure coding practices and adheres to industry standards for information protection and error handling.