CVE-2006-2041 in PhpWebGallery
Summary
by MITRE
PhpWebGallery before 1.6.0RC1 allows remote attackers to obtain arbitrary pictures via a request to picture.php without specifying the cat parameter. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-2041 affects PhpWebGallery versions prior to 1.6.0RC1 and represents a classic access control flaw that enables unauthorized remote data retrieval. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and parameter handling within the picture.php script, which fails to properly authenticate or authorize requests that do not include the required cat parameter. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of insecure direct object references as defined by CWE-639, where the application fails to verify that the user has proper authorization to access the requested resource.
The technical implementation of this flaw allows attackers to construct malicious requests that bypass normal access controls by omitting the cat parameter entirely. When the picture.php script processes such requests, it appears to default to a behavior that returns arbitrary pictures from the gallery without proper authorization checks. This creates a significant information disclosure vulnerability where remote attackers can access media content that should be restricted based on category or user permissions. The flaw essentially removes the protective layer that would normally ensure users can only view pictures within categories they are authorized to access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a serious risk to websites utilizing PhpWebGallery, particularly those with sensitive or copyrighted content. Attackers could systematically enumerate and download pictures from the gallery without restriction, potentially leading to unauthorized content distribution, intellectual property theft, or exposure of private information. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as this vulnerability could facilitate further attacks by providing attackers with visual information that might be used for social engineering or reconnaissance purposes. The vulnerability also represents a failure in the application's privilege escalation mechanisms, as it allows users to bypass normal access controls that should restrict picture viewing based on user roles or permissions.
The remediation for this vulnerability requires immediate implementation of proper input validation and access control mechanisms within the picture.php script. Applications should enforce mandatory parameter validation to ensure that all requests include the required cat parameter and that the parameter values are properly authenticated against the user's authorized categories. Security patches should implement proper authorization checks before serving any picture content, ensuring that users can only access pictures within categories they have permission to view. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and proper access control enforcement as recommended in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also implement proper logging and monitoring to detect suspicious access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs and implementing robust access control mechanisms, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's access control bypass techniques.