CVE-2006-4586 in Tr Forum
Summary
by MITRE
The admin panel in Tr Forum 2.0 accepts a username and password hash for authentication, which allows remote authenticated users to perform unauthorized actions, as demonstrated by modifying user settings via the id parameter to /membres/modif_profil.php, and changing a password via /membres/change_mdp.php. NOTE: this can be leveraged with other Tr Forum vulnerabilities to allow unauthenticated attackers to gain privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-4586 resides within the administration panel of Tr Forum 2.0, a web-based discussion platform that suffers from a critical authentication bypass flaw. This weakness stems from the system's improper handling of user credentials, specifically its acceptance of password hash values for authentication purposes rather than requiring actual password verification. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the authentication mechanism, allowing malicious actors to circumvent normal security controls by simply providing a valid username along with an appropriate password hash, thereby gaining elevated privileges within the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through specific attack vectors targeting the forum's member management functionality. Attackers can exploit the weakness by manipulating the id parameter in the /membres/modif_profil.php endpoint to modify user profile settings without proper authorization, and through the /membres/change_mdp.php endpoint to change passwords. This demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation and access control enforcement where the system fails to properly verify that the authenticated user has the necessary permissions to perform the requested operations. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be classified under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, specifically focusing on authentication bypass through manipulation of authentication tokens or credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates a pathway for attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions. Once an attacker successfully authenticates using a stolen or guessed password hash, they can perform arbitrary modifications to user accounts, potentially compromising the entire user base and system integrity. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, data theft, service disruption, and unauthorized content modification. According to ATT&CK framework, this represents a privilege escalation technique under T1068, where adversaries leverage weaknesses in authentication systems to gain higher-level access rights.
The vulnerability's most concerning aspect is its potential for combination with other existing weaknesses within Tr Forum 2.0, as noted in the original description. When paired with other vulnerabilities, this authentication bypass flaw can enable unauthenticated attackers to gain administrative privileges without requiring any prior login credentials. This combination creates a particularly dangerous attack scenario where attackers can escalate from guest access to full administrative control. The system's failure to implement proper session management and access control validation creates multiple attack surfaces that can be exploited in sequence. Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper authentication mechanisms that validate actual passwords rather than accepting pre-computed hashes, enforcing strict input validation on all parameters, and implementing robust access control checks that verify user permissions before executing sensitive operations. Additionally, the system should enforce proper session management and implement rate limiting to prevent brute force attacks against authentication mechanisms.