CVE-2006-3757 in Zen Cart
Summary
by MITRE
index.php in Zen Cart 1.3.0.2 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via empty (1) _GET[], (2) _SESSION[], (3) _POST[], (4) _COOKIE[], or (5) _SESSION[] array parameters, which reveals the installation path in an error message. NOTE: this issue might be resultant from a global overwrite vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2017
This vulnerability in Zen Cart 1.3.0.2 represents a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes system paths through improper error handling in the index.php file. The vulnerability occurs when specific superglobal arrays _GET[], _SESSION[], _POST[], _COOKIE[], or _SESSION[] are passed as empty parameters, causing the application to generate error messages that inadvertently reveal the server installation path. This type of information disclosure directly violates security principles by providing attackers with sensitive system information that could be used for further exploitation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-209, which addresses information exposure through error messages, and falls within the ATT&CK framework's T1212 technique for exploitation of information disclosure vulnerabilities.
The technical mechanism behind this flaw involves the application's handling of empty superglobal parameters without proper validation or sanitization. When these empty parameters are processed, the PHP application fails to properly manage the error conditions, resulting in verbose error messages that contain the full file path of the installation directory. This occurs because the application's error reporting mechanism is configured to display full stack traces or path information when encountering malformed input, particularly when dealing with array parameters that should be properly initialized. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it can be exploited remotely without authentication, making it accessible to any attacker who can send HTTP requests to the affected web application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with crucial reconnaissance data that can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. Once an attacker obtains the installation path, they can better understand the system architecture and potentially identify other vulnerabilities that may exist within the same environment. The exposure of file paths can also reveal version information about the application, which may indicate known exploits or vulnerabilities in the specific Zen Cart version. This information can be used to craft targeted attacks against the application or to identify misconfigurations in the server environment. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can discover this information without requiring physical access or prior authentication to the system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and error handling mechanisms within the application. The primary solution involves modifying the index.php file to validate all incoming superglobal parameters before processing them, ensuring that empty or malformed arrays are handled gracefully without generating detailed error messages. Organizations should implement custom error handling that suppresses sensitive path information in error messages and instead displays generic error messages to users. Additionally, the application should be configured to disable verbose error reporting in production environments and implement proper logging mechanisms to track suspicious parameter handling attempts. Security configurations should also include input sanitization routines that prevent empty array parameters from being processed in ways that could expose system information. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principle of least privilege in error handling to prevent information disclosure that could compromise system security.