CVE-2007-2767 in BES
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in BES before 3.5.0 in OPeNDAP 4 (Hydrax) before 1.2.1 allows remote attackers to list filesystem contents and obtain sensitive information via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-2767 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the OPeNDAP 4 Hydrax server software prior to version 1.2.1. This issue affects the BES (Binary Encoding System) component of the OPeNDAP framework, which is designed to facilitate scientific data sharing and access over the internet. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to enumerate filesystem contents and extract sensitive information through unspecified attack vectors that bypass normal access controls and authentication mechanisms.
This security weakness falls under the category of information disclosure vulnerabilities, specifically categorized as CWE-200, which encompasses issues where sensitive information is exposed to unauthorized parties. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental breakdown in the system's access control model, allowing attackers to bypass normal data access restrictions and gain visibility into the underlying filesystem structure. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data exposure as it provides attackers with directory traversal capabilities that can reveal sensitive system information, potentially including configuration files, user data, and system metadata that should remain protected from external access.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are severe for organizations relying on OPeNDAP 4 Hydrax for scientific data distribution and management. Attackers exploiting this flaw could map the entire filesystem structure, identify sensitive directories and files, and potentially access confidential research data, system configurations, or user credentials stored on the affected servers. This vulnerability directly contradicts the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a critical failure in the system's security architecture. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways may exist for exploitation, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as defenders cannot easily predict or defend against all possible attack scenarios.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1005 (Data from Local System), as it enables attackers to enumerate system resources and extract sensitive information without requiring elevated privileges. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage this flaw from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly concerning for organizations that expose their data servers to public internet access. Organizations using affected versions of the software should immediately implement mitigations including patching to version 1.2.1 or later, implementing network segmentation to limit access to these services, and conducting comprehensive security assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred.
The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in distributed data systems. It demonstrates how seemingly benign data access protocols can be exploited to reveal sensitive system information when proper security measures are not implemented. Organizations should consider implementing additional monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect unauthorized filesystem enumeration attempts and establish regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities in their data infrastructure. The patch for this vulnerability addresses the root cause by strengthening the access control mechanisms and implementing proper input validation to prevent unauthorized filesystem traversal and information disclosure.