CVE-2006-2566 in Article Manager Pro
Summary
by MITRE
Alstrasoft Article Manager Pro 1.6 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via (1) a quote character or possibly an invalid value in the action parameter in a request to mrarticles.php or (2) a login QUERY_STRING to admin.php without any additional parameters, which reveal the path in various error messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-2566 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Alstrasoft Article Manager Pro version 1.6 that exposes sensitive system details to remote attackers. This vulnerability manifests through two distinct attack vectors that collectively undermine the security posture of the affected web application. The first vector involves manipulation of the action parameter in requests directed to the mrarticles.php script, where the inclusion of quote characters or invalid values triggers error responses containing path information. The second vector exploits the admin.php script's handling of login parameters within the QUERY_STRING, where authentication attempts without proper parameters result in error messages that inadvertently reveal system paths. Both attack scenarios demonstrate a fundamental lack of proper input validation and error handling mechanisms within the application's codebase.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input and improper error message generation practices. When the application processes the action parameter in mrarticles.php, it fails to validate or sanitize the input before using it in operations that may trigger system-level errors. This results in the application's error handling routines exposing internal system paths through stack traces or error messages that are not properly filtered. Similarly, the admin.php script demonstrates poor security practices in its authentication handling, where the QUERY_STRING parameters are processed without sufficient validation, leading to error conditions that reveal directory structures and potentially sensitive configuration information. These flaws directly align with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure through improper error handling, and CWE-20, which covers improper input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposed path information can serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain knowledge about the target system's directory structure, which may reveal the application's installation path, database connection details, or other sensitive configuration elements. This information can significantly aid in planning subsequent attacks, including potential directory traversal exploits, privilege escalation attempts, or targeted attacks against specific system components. The vulnerability also demonstrates a pattern of insecure coding practices that could indicate additional security weaknesses within the application's codebase, potentially exposing other sensitive data or functionality.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on comprehensive input validation and secure error handling practices. Organizations should implement proper parameter sanitization for all user-supplied inputs, particularly those used in critical application logic such as the action parameter in mrarticles.php. The application should employ strict input validation routines that reject or properly escape special characters before processing, preventing the triggering of error conditions that reveal system information. Additionally, error handling mechanisms must be restructured to provide generic error messages to users while logging detailed technical information for administrators only. This approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1211, which addresses techniques for gaining system information through error handling and logging. The implementation of proper access controls and authentication mechanisms for administrative functions, such as those in admin.php, should also be strengthened to prevent unauthorized access attempts that could trigger these information disclosure conditions. Regular security code reviews and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar patterns of insecure coding practices throughout the application's codebase.