CVE-2007-2557 in Mambo
Summary
by MITRE
MOStlyDB Admin in Mambo 4.6.1 does not properly check privileges, which allows remote authenticated administrators to have an unknown impact via unspecified vectors. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-2557 affects MOStlyDB Admin component within Mambo 4.6.1 content management system, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that undermines the security model of the platform. This issue stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the administrative interface, specifically targeting the MOStlyDB Admin module that handles database administration tasks. The vulnerability exists in the privilege checking implementation where authenticated administrators can bypass intended security controls to execute unauthorized actions. According to the limited information available, the flaw allows attackers with administrative credentials to potentially gain additional privileges or execute arbitrary operations through unspecified vectors that remain undocumented in the public record.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically concerning insufficient privilege checking mechanisms that enable unauthorized access to administrative functions. The flaw represents a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement where the system does not properly validate administrative permissions before executing sensitive operations. Attackers with legitimate administrative access can exploit this weakness to perform actions beyond their intended authorization scope, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may manifest through multiple attack paths including but not limited to parameter manipulation, session hijacking, or direct API endpoint exploitation, though the exact technical implementation details remain unclear due to the limited information source.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates a potential pathway for attackers to compromise the entire web application infrastructure. When an authenticated administrator account is compromised or when attackers gain access to administrative credentials through other means, they can leverage this flaw to execute unauthorized database operations, modify critical system configurations, or potentially escalate privileges to system-level access. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the Mambo platform and could lead to data breaches, service disruption, or complete system takeover. The unknown impact assessment suggests that the consequences could range from data manipulation to full system compromise depending on the specific attack vectors utilized and the underlying system architecture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the Mambo platform to the latest available security updates, as well as implementing additional access controls and monitoring mechanisms. Organizations should enforce strict privilege management policies, ensure regular security audits of administrative interfaces, and implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of compromised administrative accounts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in web applications, as outlined in the OWASP Top 10 security risks. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious administrative activities and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing privilege escalation attacks. Given the age of this vulnerability and the lack of detailed information, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their legacy systems to identify similar privilege checking flaws that may exist in other components or applications.