CVE-2006-5787 in IPrimal Forums
Summary
by MITRE
admin/index.php in IPrimal Forums as of 20061105 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and modify user passwords via a direct request, possibly related to an authentication issue in admin/chk_admin.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-5787 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within the IPrimal Forums software version dated 20061105. This issue stems from improper access control mechanisms that allow remote attackers to circumvent the standard authentication process and gain administrative privileges. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative interface of the forum system, where the authentication check implemented in admin/chk_admin.php fails to properly validate user credentials before granting access to administrative functions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through direct HTTP requests to the admin/index.php endpoint without proper authentication. This flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture where the system does not adequately verify user identity or authorization status before executing administrative operations. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems. Attackers can leverage this weakness to directly manipulate user passwords and potentially gain complete control over the forum's administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to modify user credentials and potentially compromise the entire user base of the forum. This authentication bypass allows malicious actors to perform actions such as adding new administrators, deleting user accounts, modifying forum settings, and altering user passwords without proper authorization. The vulnerability creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited repeatedly by remote attackers without requiring physical access to the system or prior knowledge of valid credentials.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including strengthening authentication mechanisms, implementing proper input validation, and ensuring that all administrative functions require robust authentication checks before execution. The system should enforce proper session management and implement rate limiting to prevent automated exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials usage for persistence and privilege escalation. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities in other systems and ensure that proper access controls are maintained throughout the application's architecture.