CVE-2005-4854 in eZ publish
Summary
by MITRE
eZ publish 3.5 through 3.7 before 20050830 does not use a folder s read permissions to restrict notifications, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information about changes to content in arbitrary folders.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-4854 affects eZ publish content management systems version 3.5 through 3.7, specifically before the 20050830 release. This security flaw represents a critical access control issue that undermines the system's ability to properly enforce folder-level permissions. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate user permissions when generating notifications about content changes, creating a significant information disclosure risk.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs within the notification system of eZ publish where the application does not adequately check whether authenticated users possess the necessary read permissions for specific folders before including those folders in change notifications. This oversight allows malicious users to enumerate content changes across folders they should not have access to, effectively bypassing the intended access control mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically impacts the notification generation process where the system fails to perform proper permission validation against the folder access controls that are typically enforced for regular content access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote authenticated attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information about content modifications across arbitrary folders within the system. Attackers can exploit this weakness to discover the existence of content, track changes to files they should not be able to access, and potentially identify sensitive information about system activities and content management operations. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it allows for reconnaissance activities that could lead to more sophisticated attacks targeting the content management infrastructure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems, specifically focusing on inadequate permission checks during notification generation. This weakness falls under the broader category of access control bypass vulnerabilities that have been consistently identified in content management systems and web applications. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques described in the ATT&CK matrix under privilege escalation and information gathering phases, where adversaries seek to expand their knowledge of system components and access rights.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves applying the vendor-provided patch released on 20050830, which corrects the permission validation logic in the notification system. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring to detect unusual notification patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should review and audit folder permissions regularly to ensure proper access control enforcement, while also considering implementing network-level controls to limit access to the notification endpoints. The patch addresses the root cause by ensuring that folder read permissions are properly enforced during notification generation, thereby restoring the intended access control boundaries within the eZ publish system.