CVE-2006-6852 in tDiary
Summary
by MITRE
Eval injection vulnerability in tDiary 2.0.3 and 2.1.4.200 61127 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary Ruby code via unspecified vectors, possibly related to incorrect input validation by (1) conf.rhtml and (2) i.conf.rhtml. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2018
The CVE-2006-6852 vulnerability represents a critical server-side evaluation injection flaw discovered in tDiary versions 2.0.3 and 2.1.4.20061127. This vulnerability specifically affects web applications built on the Ruby programming language and demonstrates a classic code injection weakness that can be exploited by authenticated remote attackers. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation mechanisms within the application's configuration handling components, particularly impacting the conf.rhtml and i.conf.rhtml files which serve as critical configuration interfaces for the diary application. The flaw allows malicious actors with valid credentials to manipulate the application's evaluation process and execute arbitrary Ruby code on the server, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to properly sanitize user input before processing it through Ruby's evaluation functions. When authenticated users interact with the affected configuration files, specifically conf.rhtml and i.conf.rhtml, the system accepts input without adequate validation, allowing attackers to inject malicious Ruby code that gets executed within the application context. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-94, which specifically addresses "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" and aligns with the broader category of injection flaws that represent one of the most prevalent security weaknesses in web applications. The attack vector leverages the trust relationship between the application and authenticated users, exploiting the assumption that legitimate users will provide valid input while failing to validate that input against malicious code patterns.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-6852 extends far beyond simple code execution, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, access confidential information stored within the application, modify or delete content, and potentially use the compromised server as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The vulnerability's authenticated nature means that attackers must first obtain valid credentials, but once achieved, they can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web application, which typically runs with elevated permissions. This weakness creates a significant risk for organizations relying on tDiary for content management, as it directly violates the principle of least privilege and provides attackers with a direct path to system compromise. The impact is particularly severe in environments where tDiary is used for sensitive content management or where the application has access to databases containing personal or confidential information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-6852 must address both the immediate vulnerability and broader security practices within the application environment. The most effective immediate solution involves applying the vendor-supplied patches or upgrading to versions of tDiary that have addressed this code injection vulnerability. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that sanitize all user-provided data before processing, particularly for configuration files and any input that might be evaluated by the application. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit the scope of potential exploitation, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect anomalous behavior indicative of code execution attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Ruby" emphasizes the need for runtime protection measures and application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized Ruby code execution. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the application stack, while security awareness training for administrators can help prevent credential compromise that could lead to exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.