CVE-2007-0760 in EQdkp
Summary
by MITRE
EQdkp 1.3.1 and earlier authenticates administrative requests by verifying that the HTTP Referer header specifies an admin/ URL, which allows remote attackers to read or modify account names and passwords via a spoofed Referer.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0760 affects EQdkp version 1.3.1 and earlier, representing a critical authentication flaw that undermines the security of administrative operations within the application. This issue stems from the application's reliance on the HTTP Referer header for verifying administrative access rights, a technique that fundamentally compromises security by trusting client-supplied information for access control decisions. The flaw creates a dangerous dependency on an HTTP header that can be easily manipulated by malicious actors, effectively bypassing proper authentication mechanisms that should safeguard sensitive administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the weak authentication model by leveraging the HTTP Referer header validation process. When administrative actions are performed, the system checks whether the Referer header contains the string "admin/" to grant access privileges. This approach violates fundamental security principles as it assumes that the Referer header cannot be forged or manipulated by attackers. Remote attackers can simply craft HTTP requests with a spoofed Referer header containing the required pattern, thereby gaining unauthorized access to administrative functions that should be restricted to legitimate administrators. The vulnerability specifically enables attackers to read or modify account names and passwords, representing a severe compromise of user data integrity and confidentiality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with direct access to sensitive user account information and the ability to modify authentication credentials. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly without requiring additional authentication factors or complex attack vectors. The vulnerability affects the core security model of the application, potentially allowing attackers to compromise user accounts, modify system configurations, and gain persistent access to administrative functions. The implications are particularly severe given that administrative access typically provides comprehensive control over user accounts, system settings, and data management capabilities.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in authentication mechanisms, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting through spoofing attacks. The security weakness demonstrates a classic example of trusting client-side information for server-side security decisions, violating the principle of least privilege and proper access control implementation. Organizations using affected versions should immediately implement mitigations including disabling the Referer-based authentication mechanism, implementing stronger authentication methods, and considering the use of additional security controls such as session tokens, multi-factor authentication, and proper input validation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of not relying on HTTP headers for security decisions and emphasizes the need for robust server-side authentication mechanisms that cannot be bypassed through simple header manipulation.