CVE-2006-0131 in boastMachine
Summary
by MITRE
boastMachine 3.1 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a direct request to (1) footer.php and (2) side_menu.php, which reveals the path in an error message.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0131 affects boastMachine version 3.1, a web-based content management system that was widely used for blog publishing and website management during the mid-2000s. This issue represents a classic path disclosure vulnerability that exposes critical system information to remote attackers through direct web requests to specific PHP files within the application's directory structure.
The technical flaw manifests when attackers make direct requests to footer.php and side_menu.php files within the boastMachine installation. These files contain code that generates error messages revealing the full server path where the application is installed. The vulnerability stems from inadequate error handling mechanisms within the application's PHP scripts, specifically in how the system processes requests for these particular files. When these files are accessed directly without proper authentication or input validation, they execute code that includes the server path in error messages, making this sensitive information publicly accessible.
This vulnerability operates under the broader category of information disclosure flaws classified as CWE-200, which encompasses any weakness that allows unauthorized users to gain access to information that should remain confidential. The exposed paths can reveal critical system details including directory structures, file locations, and potentially the complete installation path on the web server. Such information can be leveraged by attackers to plan more sophisticated attacks, as knowing the exact file locations allows for targeted exploitation of other vulnerabilities or for crafting more effective attack vectors. The vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad by exposing system information that should remain private.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that can be used to escalate attacks. When combined with other vulnerabilities or through additional reconnaissance efforts, the disclosed paths can help attackers identify potential entry points, understand the application's architecture, and potentially locate other sensitive files or directories that might contain configuration details, database credentials, or other confidential information. This vulnerability aligns with several tactics from the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to reconnaissance and credential access phases, where attackers gather information about the target system before launching more targeted attacks.
The vulnerability can be mitigated through several approaches that address the root cause of the path disclosure issue. The most effective solution involves implementing proper error handling within the affected PHP files, ensuring that error messages do not contain system path information. This can be achieved by configuring PHP's error reporting settings to suppress detailed error messages or by implementing custom error handling that sanitizes output before displaying it to users. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and input validation for the affected files would prevent direct access to these components without proper authentication. Security measures such as removing or renaming these files, or placing them in non-web-accessible directories, would also effectively mitigate this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block direct requests to potentially vulnerable files, and regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar path disclosure vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack.