CVE-2006-1276 in PHP SimpleNEWS
Summary
by MITRE
admin.php in Himpfen Consulting Company PHP SimpleNEWS 1.0.0 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication by setting the admin parameter in a cookie.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-1276 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in the PHP SimpleNEWS 1.0.0 content management system developed by Himpfen Consulting Company. This issue resides within the admin.php script which is responsible for handling administrative functions and access control. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of authentication credentials, specifically allowing unauthorized users to gain administrative privileges through manipulation of HTTP cookies.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the admin parameter within HTTP cookies. Attackers can craft malicious cookies that contain the admin parameter with arbitrary values, effectively bypassing the normal authentication mechanisms. This flaw operates at the application layer and demonstrates a classic case of insecure authentication handling where the application fails to properly verify the legitimacy of administrative access requests. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows remote attackers to execute administrative functions without proper credentials, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with full administrative control over the affected system. This includes the ability to modify content, add or remove users, alter system configurations, and potentially access sensitive data. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the web application, as unauthorized parties can manipulate the system as if they were legitimate administrators. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials. The flaw allows attackers to leverage the system's trust in cookie-based authentication mechanisms to impersonate administrators. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or local network presence. Organizations using this vulnerable version of PHP SimpleNEWS face significant risk of data breaches, content tampering, and potential use as a foothold for further attacks within their network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of the affected software to version 1.0.1 or later, which contains the necessary authentication fixes. Additionally, administrators should implement proper cookie security measures including secure flags, HttpOnly attributes, and proper session management. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious cookie manipulation attempts. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar authentication bypass issues in other applications. The incident highlights the importance of proper input validation and authentication mechanisms in web applications, emphasizing that all user-supplied data should be treated as potentially malicious and properly validated before being accepted by the system.