CVE-2006-4580 in The Address Book
Summary
by MITRE
register.php in The Address Book 1.04e allows remote attackers to bypass the "Allow User Self-Registration" setting and create arbitrary users by setting the mode parameter to "confirm".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-4580 affects The Address Book version 1.04e, a web-based contact management application that suffers from a critical access control flaw in its user registration mechanism. This vulnerability resides in the register.php script which handles user account creation and authentication processes. The flaw represents a direct violation of proper access control principles where the application fails to properly validate user permissions before executing registration operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and parameter sanitization within the registration flow. When attackers manipulate the mode parameter to "confirm", they can bypass the application's built-in security controls that are designed to prevent unauthorized user creation. This manipulation allows malicious actors to circumvent the "Allow User Self-Registration" setting that should restrict who can create new accounts. The flaw essentially creates an unrestricted account creation pathway that operates independently of the intended authorization controls, effectively disabling the application's user management policies.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to system integrity and user privacy. Attackers can exploit this flaw to create unlimited user accounts with arbitrary credentials, potentially leading to account flooding, denial of service conditions, or unauthorized access to sensitive contact data. The impact extends beyond simple account creation as it undermines the entire user authentication framework of the application, potentially allowing for privilege escalation or further exploitation of related vulnerabilities. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software applications.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1078 for valid accounts and T1190 for exploit public-facing application. Organizations using The Address Book 1.04e are particularly vulnerable to unauthorized account creation attacks that can go undetected for extended periods. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of proper input validation and parameter handling that should be addressed through comprehensive security testing and code review processes.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper parameter validation and access control checks within the registration script. The application should enforce strict validation of the mode parameter to ensure it only accepts legitimate values based on the current user's authorization level. Additionally, implementing proper session management and authentication checks before allowing any registration operations would prevent unauthorized account creation. Security patches should include input sanitization routines and proper authorization verification mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting and monitoring for suspicious registration patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principle of least privilege in web application development.