CVE-2007-0845 in Advanced Poll
Summary
by MITRE
admin/index.php in Advanced Poll 2.0.0 through 2.0.5-dev allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrator privileges by obtaining a valid session identifier and setting the uid parameter to 1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0845 affects Advanced Poll versions 2.0.0 through 2.0.5-dev, specifically targeting the admin/index.php component. This authentication bypass flaw represents a critical security weakness that allows remote attackers to escalate their privileges without proper authorization. The vulnerability stems from improper session management and insufficient input validation within the administrative interface, creating a pathway for unauthorized users to assume administrator roles within the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a predictable session identifier mechanism combined with a lack of proper access control checks. When attackers obtain a valid session identifier through various means such as session hijacking, session prediction, or session fixation attacks, they can manipulate the uid parameter to 1, which typically represents the highest privileged user account in many web applications. This parameter manipulation bypasses the normal authentication flow, allowing attackers to gain full administrative access to the poll management system. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of insecure direct object reference vulnerability, where user input directly maps to internal objects without proper authorization checks, aligning with CWE-639 classification for insufficient authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete control over the poll application's administrative functions. This includes the ability to modify poll questions, manipulate results, delete polls, and potentially access sensitive user data stored within the system. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from any location without requiring physical access to the server or network infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous for web applications. The vulnerability also poses significant risks to data integrity and availability, as administrators can alter or destroy poll data, potentially affecting the credibility of the polling system and undermining its purpose.
Security professionals should implement several mitigations to address this vulnerability, including immediate patching of the affected Advanced Poll versions to the latest stable releases that contain proper authentication controls. The solution involves implementing robust session management practices with secure session identifier generation, proper session validation, and enforcing strict access controls for administrative functions. Additionally, input validation should be strengthened to prevent manipulation of critical parameters, and the application should implement proper authorization checks before allowing administrative operations to proceed. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level protections such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious session parameter usage patterns, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and conducting regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar authentication bypass issues in web applications.