CVE-2006-5018 in ContentKeeper
Summary
by MITRE
ContentKeeper 123.25 and earlier places passwords in cleartext in an INPUT element in cgi-bin/ck/changepw.cgi, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain passwords via this URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-5018 affects ContentKeeper versions 123.25 and earlier, specifically within the cgi-bin/ck/changepw.cgi script. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that exposes sensitive authentication credentials to unauthorized parties. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of password information during the password change process, where passwords are rendered in cleartext within HTML input elements, making them accessible to any user who can authenticate to the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the web application's failure to properly sanitize or encode password data when presenting it to users during password modification operations. When authenticated users access the password change functionality, the system displays the current password value within an INPUT element that is not properly secured or obscured. This cleartext exposure occurs in the cgi-bin/ck/changepw.cgi script, which serves as the interface for password management within the ContentKeeper system. The flaw directly violates fundamental security principles regarding credential handling and demonstrates a lack of proper input validation and output encoding practices.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations using ContentKeeper versions 123.25 and earlier. Remote authenticated users who can access the password change interface can easily extract password values simply by examining the HTML source or using browser developer tools. This exposure undermines the entire authentication mechanism, as it provides attackers with clear text credentials that can be immediately used to gain unauthorized access to accounts. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor for privilege escalation and account takeover scenarios, as legitimate users with access to the system can exploit this flaw to obtain passwords belonging to other accounts.
The security implications extend beyond immediate credential theft, as this vulnerability aligns with multiple cybersecurity frameworks and threat models. According to the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) catalog, this represents a weakness categorized under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation, specifically manifesting as CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1552.001: Unsecured Credentials, highlighting how the flaw enables unauthorized access to sensitive information. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates poor security hygiene in web application development practices, particularly in the area of session management and credential handling.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-5018 require immediate action from affected organizations. The primary solution involves upgrading to ContentKeeper versions that have addressed this vulnerability, as the flaw exists at the application level and cannot be resolved through network-level configurations or firewalls. Organizations should also implement comprehensive monitoring to detect any potential exploitation attempts and establish proper access controls to limit who can access the password change functionality. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potential cleartext exposure points within the application and ensure that all sensitive data is properly encrypted and handled according to industry best practices. The remediation process should include comprehensive security testing to verify that password information is no longer displayed in cleartext and that proper authentication mechanisms remain intact.