CVE-2007-1966 in Content Management System
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in eXV2 CMS 2.0.4.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions by setting the PHPSESSID cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2025
The CVE-2007-1966 vulnerability represents a critical session fixation flaw in the eXV2 Content Management System version 2.0.4.3 and earlier releases. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of session management weaknesses that have been consistently identified as high-risk security issues in web applications. The flaw specifically resides in how the system handles PHP session identifiers, creating an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to manipulate user authentication sessions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it directly impacts the fundamental security mechanism of web applications, potentially enabling unauthorized access to user accounts and sensitive system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the CMS's failure to properly regenerate session identifiers upon successful user authentication. When users log into the system, the application should generate a new session ID to prevent attackers from reusing existing session tokens. However, eXV2 CMS versions prior to 2.0.4.3 maintain the same session identifier throughout the user's browsing session, allowing an attacker who knows the initial session ID to hijack the user's authenticated session. This behavior directly violates established security practices outlined in CWE-384, which addresses session fixation vulnerabilities. The PHPSESSID cookie, which serves as the primary session identifier, becomes a target for manipulation by attackers who can set this cookie value to a known session ID, effectively taking control of the user's session without needing to know valid credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking to encompass potential data breaches, unauthorized administrative access, and complete system compromise. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain persistent access to user accounts, potentially leading to data theft, content manipulation, and privilege escalation within the CMS environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where users access the system from shared or public computers, as session fixation attacks can be executed with minimal technical expertise. This flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.003, which covers session hijacking and credential theft through session management vulnerabilities. The attack vector is straightforward, requiring only that an attacker can influence the PHPSESSID cookie value, which is often achievable through cross-site scripting attacks or by intercepting session tokens in transit.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-1966 focus on implementing proper session management practices and upgrading to patched versions of the eXV2 CMS. The most effective remediation involves upgrading to version 2.0.4.4 or later, which contains the necessary code modifications to regenerate session identifiers upon successful authentication. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including secure cookie attributes such as HttpOnly and Secure flags, proper session timeout mechanisms, and regular session validation checks. The implementation of these controls addresses the underlying CWE-384 vulnerability by ensuring that session identifiers are properly managed and cannot be reused by attackers. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar session management issues in other applications and ensure that all web applications follow established security frameworks such as those recommended by OWASP for session management best practices.