CVE-2007-0692 in DGNews
Summary
by MITRE
DGNews 2.1 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a fullnews request to news.php with an invalid newsid parameter, and other unspecified vectors, which reveal the path in various error messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0692 affects DGNews 2.1, a web-based news management system that exposes sensitive information through improper error handling mechanisms. This issue represents a classic case of information disclosure through error messages, where the application fails to sanitize error responses that contain system path information. The vulnerability specifically manifests when a remote attacker submits a malformed fullnews request to the news.php script with an invalid newsid parameter, causing the system to return detailed error messages that include the server path structure. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1212 for "Exploitation for Credential Access" as it provides attackers with system-level information that can facilitate further exploitation attempts.
The technical flaw stems from the application's inadequate input validation and error handling procedures within the news.php script. When processing a request with an invalid newsid parameter, the system does not properly validate user input before attempting to process the request, leading to an exception that generates an error message containing the absolute file path on the server. This occurs because the application's error reporting mechanism is configured to display full stack traces or system paths in error messages, rather than generic error responses that would not reveal system internals. The vulnerability demonstrates poor security programming practices where sensitive system information is exposed to unauthenticated remote users without proper access controls or sanitization of error outputs.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical system reconnaissance data that can be leveraged for subsequent attacks. The revealed server paths can indicate the directory structure, potentially exposing sensitive directories, file locations, and system configuration details that attackers can use to plan more sophisticated attacks. This information disclosure can facilitate directory traversal attacks, privilege escalation attempts, and other exploitation techniques that rely on understanding the target system's file structure. The vulnerability also increases the attack surface by providing attackers with knowledge about the underlying system architecture, which can be combined with other vulnerabilities to achieve unauthorized access or system compromise. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability represents a fundamental weakness in the application's security design and requires immediate attention to prevent potential exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-0692 should focus on implementing proper input validation, error handling, and security configuration practices. Organizations should ensure that all error messages are sanitized to remove system-specific information before being displayed to users, implementing generic error responses that do not reveal system paths or internal structures. The application should validate all input parameters, including newsid, to prevent malformed requests from triggering error conditions. Additionally, server configuration should be reviewed to disable detailed error reporting in production environments, ensuring that error messages are logged securely rather than displayed to end users. Security patches should be applied to upgrade to versions of DGNews that address this vulnerability, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar information disclosure issues in other applications. The remediation efforts should also include implementing proper access controls and monitoring for suspicious requests that may indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability.