CVE-2006-1047 in Joomla
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the "Remember Me login functionality" in Joomla! 1.0.7 and earlier has unknown impact and attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1047 resides within the remember me login functionality of Joomla! versions 1.0.7 and earlier, representing a classic session management weakness that could potentially compromise user authentication integrity. This unspecified vulnerability within the remember me feature demonstrates the critical importance of proper session token handling in web applications, where the flaw likely involves inadequate protection mechanisms for persistent login cookies that store user authentication state across browser sessions. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the exact technical details were not fully disclosed at the time of reporting, suggesting potential weaknesses in the cryptographic implementation or token generation process used by the remember me functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with common session management flaws that fall under CWE-384, which addresses session fixation and weak session token generation issues. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially manipulate or predict the remember me tokens, allowing unauthorized access to user accounts without proper authentication credentials. The impact of such a flaw extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include full account compromise and potential data breach scenarios, particularly when considering that remember me functionality typically persists for extended periods. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to user privacy and system security, as it could enable attackers to maintain persistent access to compromised accounts.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability in Joomla! 1.0.7 and earlier versions creates a substantial risk for organizations relying on the platform, particularly those handling sensitive data or requiring robust authentication controls. The attack vectors for this vulnerability could include session hijacking techniques, where attackers intercept and reuse remember me tokens, or token prediction methods that exploit weak cryptographic randomness in the token generation process. The persistence of this vulnerability across multiple versions of the platform indicates a fundamental flaw in the authentication implementation that required immediate remediation through version updates and patches.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability involves immediate upgrading to patched versions of Joomla installations are updated promptly, as this vulnerability represents a critical security risk that could be exploited by automated attack tools. Additionally, security monitoring should include detection of unauthorized access attempts and suspicious login patterns that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this vulnerability under T1566 for credential access and potentially T1078 for valid accounts usage, emphasizing the need for layered security controls including network monitoring, intrusion detection systems, and regular security assessments to prevent exploitation of such authentication weaknesses.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in authentication systems, particularly for persistent login features that must balance user convenience with security requirements. The weakness in the remember me functionality highlights the necessity of following established security standards and best practices for session management, including the use of cryptographically secure random number generators, proper token expiration mechanisms, and robust validation procedures. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities in authentication systems and implement comprehensive security controls that address both the immediate threat and prevent similar issues from arising in other components of their security infrastructure.