CVE-2006-7241 in FileNet P8 Application Engine
Summary
by MITRE
The Image Viewer component in IBM FileNet P8 Application Engine (P8AE) 3.5.1 before 3.5.1-002 removes a user from an ACL when the user is denied all permissions for an annotation, which might allow remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions in opportunistic circumstances.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-7241 affects IBM FileNet P8 Application Engine version 3.5.1 before 3.5.1-002, specifically within its Image Viewer component. This security flaw represents a significant access control weakness that could potentially undermine the integrity of document permission management systems. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes annotation permissions, creating an unintended behavior that impacts how access control lists are managed for users within the document management environment.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the Image Viewer component's handling of user permissions for annotations within documents. When a user is denied all permissions for a specific annotation, the system incorrectly removes that user entirely from the access control list rather than properly managing their reduced permission level. This behavior creates a scenario where users who should have limited access to annotations might inadvertently gain broader access privileges than intended. The flaw operates at the intersection of access control management and permission handling, specifically within the annotation processing subsystem of the P8AE platform.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates opportunistic security risks that could be exploited by remote authenticated users who understand the system's behavior patterns. The vulnerability does not provide direct unauthorized access but rather creates conditions where access restrictions might be bypassed through careful manipulation of annotation permissions. Attackers could potentially leverage this flaw to gain elevated privileges or access to content that should remain restricted. The impact is particularly concerning in environments where document annotations contain sensitive information or where strict access controls are required for compliance purposes.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with access control bypass scenarios. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this weakness could be categorized under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting access control mechanisms within enterprise document management systems. The vulnerability represents a configuration or implementation flaw that affects the authorization process rather than authentication, making it particularly challenging to detect and remediate. Organizations using IBM FileNet P8 Application Engine should implement immediate patching procedures and conduct thorough access control reviews to ensure that the vulnerability has not been exploited in their environments. The remediation process should include verification of existing access control lists and validation of permission settings to prevent the unintended removal of users from access control mechanisms.