CVE-2005-4775 in Contineo
Summary
by MITRE
Michael Scholz and Sebastian Stein Contineo 2.0, when the admin account lacks an e-mail address attribute, displays the password hash in a warning upon page reload, which might allow remote attackers to view the hash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-4775 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Contineo 2.0 content management system. This issue specifically manifests when the administrative account is configured without an email address attribute, creating a scenario where sensitive authentication data becomes inadvertently exposed to unauthorized parties. The vulnerability stems from improper error handling mechanisms that fail to sanitize output when displaying warning messages to users. When a page reload occurs under these conditions, the system reveals the password hash directly within the warning text, bypassing normal security controls that should prevent such exposure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which categorizes the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors. The flaw occurs at the application layer where user input validation and error message generation fail to properly handle missing administrative attributes. The system's failure to implement proper access controls and output sanitization creates an attack vector where remote adversaries can obtain password hashes without requiring authentication or exploiting other system weaknesses. This vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the risk of information disclosure through improper error handling and sensitive data exposure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly increases the attack surface for remote exploitation and provides attackers with immediate access to authentication credentials that can be used for account compromise. The exposure of password hashes enables attackers to perform offline password cracking attacks, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage this weakness from any location without requiring physical access or prior system compromise. This creates a high-severity risk that can be exploited by automated scanning tools, making it particularly dangerous in environments where systems are exposed to the internet.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and error handling mechanisms that prevent sensitive data exposure. System administrators should ensure that all administrative accounts maintain proper attribute configurations including email addresses, which would prevent the triggering condition for this vulnerability. The implementation of proper access controls and output sanitization routines should be enforced to prevent any accidental disclosure of authentication data. Security measures should include regular audits of administrative account configurations and monitoring for unusual access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure of administrative interfaces to trusted networks only. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to security standards such as those defined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for credential access techniques, particularly those related to credential dumping and password recovery mechanisms.