CVE-2006-1048 in Joomla
Summary
by MITRE
Joomla! 1.0.7 and earlier allows attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and gain certain privileges via certain attack vectors related to the (1) Weblink, (2) Polls, (3) Newsfeeds, (4) Weblinks, (5) Content, (6) Content Section, (7) Content Category, (8) Contact items, or (9) Contact Search, (10) Content Search, (11) Newsfeed Search, or (12) Weblink Search.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2021
This vulnerability in Joomla! versions 1.0.7 and earlier represents a critical access control flaw that allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass intended security restrictions and gain unauthorized privileges within the content management system. The vulnerability affects multiple core components including weblinks, polls, newsfeeds, content management sections, contact items, and various search functionalities. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and privilege checking mechanisms that fail to properly authenticate and authorize user requests across these different modules. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to escalate their privileges and access restricted administrative functions without proper authentication, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves insufficient authorization checks within the Joomla! core codebase where certain functions do not properly verify user permissions before executing privileged operations. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-285, which describes improper authorization issues in software systems, and specifically relates to CWE-284 which covers improper access control. The vulnerability affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized users from accessing administrative features or performing privileged actions. When users attempt to access restricted sections through the affected modules, the system fails to properly validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary permissions to perform the requested operation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for Joomla face potential data breaches, content manipulation, and complete system compromise. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by anyone with access to the target system. This weakness directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected web applications.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrading to Joomla! version 1.0.8 or later, which contains patches specifically addressing these access control vulnerabilities. System administrators should also implement additional security measures including disabling unnecessary modules, implementing proper network segmentation, and deploying web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious activity. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other components of the web application stack. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege configurations and regularly review user permissions to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique under the T1068 category, which involves gaining elevated privileges through system weaknesses. Additionally, this vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation as outlined in security best practices and compliance standards such as NIST SP 800-53.