CVE-2007-0078 in BattleBlog
Summary
by MITRE
BattleBlog stores sensitive information under the web root with insufficient access control, which allows remote attackers to download a database via a direct request for database/blankmaster.mdb.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-0078 represents a critical misconfiguration issue within the BattleBlog content management system that exposes sensitive database files to unauthorized remote access. This flaw stems from improper access control mechanisms that fail to adequately protect database files stored within the web root directory structure. The specific file mentioned blankmaster.mdb serves as a database container that contains sensitive information including user credentials, blog posts, and potentially other confidential data that should remain protected from public access. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-275 permission model weakness category, where insufficient access controls allow unauthorized parties to gain access to protected resources. The vulnerability directly enables a remote code execution attack vector by allowing attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms entirely through simple direct requests to the database file location. The web root directory structure typically contains all files accessible via HTTP requests, making it a prime target for exploitation when sensitive files are improperly placed within this accessible area. The attack scenario involves a remote attacker simply crafting a URL request to access the database file directly without requiring any authentication or authorization steps, effectively providing unrestricted access to the entire database content. This vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture where the principle of least privilege is not properly enforced, allowing any remote user to retrieve sensitive data without proper verification. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure as the database may contain user accounts, passwords, and other sensitive information that could be used for further attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1213 Data from Information Repositories where attackers can access databases and files containing sensitive information. The lack of proper access controls and the placement of sensitive files within the web root directory creates a path for attackers to directly access the database through the standard web interface. This configuration allows for the exploitation of the vulnerability through simple HTTP GET requests, making it particularly dangerous as it requires minimal technical skill or resources to exploit. The vulnerability also aligns with CWE-73 hardcoded paths, where the application uses hard-coded paths that make sensitive files easily discoverable by attackers. The exposure of the blankmaster.mdb file provides attackers with a complete database structure and potentially sensitive information that could be used to craft more sophisticated attacks against the system. Organizations using BattleBlog or similar applications should immediately implement proper access controls to prevent direct access to database files and ensure that sensitive data is stored outside the web root directory. The vulnerability represents a classic example of insecure configuration where proper file permissions and access controls are not implemented, allowing for unauthorized access to critical system data. This issue highlights the importance of proper security testing and configuration reviews to prevent such exposure of sensitive information through simple misconfigurations. The vulnerability also demonstrates the need for regular security audits and the implementation of security controls that prevent sensitive files from being directly accessible through web requests. Proper mitigation requires ensuring that database files are stored outside of the web root directory and that appropriate access controls are implemented to prevent unauthorized access to these sensitive resources. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it allows for complete database extraction without requiring any authentication credentials or complex exploitation techniques, making it a high-risk vulnerability that should be addressed immediately.