CVE-2007-1605 in w-Agora
Summary
by MITRE
w-Agora (Web-Agora) allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a request to rss.php with an invalid (1) site or (2) bn parameter, (3) a certain value of the site[] parameter, or (4) an empty value of the bn[] parameter; a request to index.php with a certain value of the (5) site[] or (6) sort[] parameter; (7) a request to profile.php with an empty value of the site[] parameter; or a request to search.php with (8) an empty value of the bn[] parameter or a certain value of the (9) pattern[] or (10) search_date[] parameter, which reveal the path in various error messages, probably related to variable type inconsistencies. NOTE: the bn[] parameter to index.php is already covered by CVE-2007-0606.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2018
The vulnerability identified in CVE-2007-1605 affects w-Agora (Web-Agora), a web-based discussion forum application that suffers from improper error handling and input validation flaws. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-200, which encompasses information exposure through error messages, and represents a classic example of how inadequate error management can expose system internals to remote attackers. The flaw manifests when the application processes requests to several key PHP scripts including rss.php, index.php, profile.php, and search.php without proper sanitization of user-supplied parameters.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from variable type inconsistencies and missing input validation mechanisms within the web application's parameter handling logic. When attackers submit requests containing malformed or unexpected values for parameters such as site, bn, site[], bn[], sort[], pattern[], and search_date[], the application fails to properly validate these inputs before processing them. This results in the application generating detailed error messages that inadvertently disclose the absolute file system path of the web server installation, along with other sensitive system information. The vulnerability affects multiple entry points within the application, indicating a systemic issue in the input validation and error handling architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides attackers with critical system information that can be leveraged for subsequent attacks. The disclosed file paths can reveal the exact directory structure of the web server, potentially exposing sensitive information about the hosting environment, installed applications, and system configuration. This information can be used by attackers to craft more sophisticated attacks, including directory traversal exploits, path traversal attacks, or to identify specific versions of software that may have additional known vulnerabilities. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad by exposing information that should remain private and protected.
Security practitioners should implement comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures across all application entry points to prevent malformed parameters from reaching the core processing logic. The recommended mitigations include implementing proper error handling that does not expose system information, validating all user-supplied input against expected data types and ranges, and ensuring that error messages do not contain sensitive system details. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to filter suspicious requests and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1212, which focuses on exploitation for credential access through information disclosure, and demonstrates the importance of proper error handling as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten category A03:2021 - Injection, which encompasses similar information exposure scenarios. The vulnerability represents a fundamental security weakness that requires immediate attention and proper code review to address the root cause of variable type inconsistencies and inadequate input validation throughout the application's codebase.