CVE-2007-3193 in PhpWiki
Summary
by MITRE
lib/WikiUser/LDAP.php in PhpWiki before 1.3.13p1, when the configuration lacks a nonzero PASSWORD_LENGTH_MINIMUM, might allow remote attackers to bypass authentication via an empty password, which causes ldap_bind to return true when used with certain LDAP implementations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3193 affects PhpWiki versions prior to 1.3.13p1 and resides within the LDAP authentication component located at lib/WikiUser/LDAP.php. This flaw represents a critical authentication bypass issue that stems from inadequate input validation and configuration handling within the LDAP user authentication process. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system configuration does not properly define a minimum password length requirement, creating a dangerous condition where empty passwords can be accepted as valid credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a fundamental flaw in how PhpWiki handles LDAP bind operations when no password length minimum is configured. When ldap_bind is called with an empty password string against certain LDAP server implementations, it may return a successful bind result even though no actual authentication has occurred. This behavior occurs because some LDAP servers interpret an empty password string as a valid binding operation that succeeds, particularly when the server is configured to allow anonymous binds or when specific LDAP protocol implementations do not strictly enforce password validation. The vulnerability essentially creates a false positive authentication state where any user can bypass authentication by simply providing an empty password field.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to systems relying on PhpWiki for content management and collaboration. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability gains unauthorized access to the wiki system without needing valid credentials, potentially leading to complete system compromise including data theft, content manipulation, and privilege escalation. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as attackers could leverage this bypass to establish persistent access, modify sensitive documentation, or use the compromised wiki as a staging point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability affects any organization using PhpWiki with LDAP authentication that has not properly configured password length requirements, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where wiki systems often contain sensitive operational information.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-287 which describes improper authentication issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 related to valid accounts and T1566.002 for spearphishing with social engineering. Organizations should immediately implement the recommended patch to version 1.3.13p1 which addresses this authentication bypass by enforcing proper password validation even when minimum length parameters are not explicitly configured. Additional mitigations include configuring explicit PASSWORD_LENGTH_MINIMUM values in the wiki configuration, implementing account lockout mechanisms, and monitoring authentication logs for unusual patterns. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of all wiki systems to ensure proper authentication configurations and consider implementing multi-factor authentication where possible. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and configuration management in authentication systems, highlighting how seemingly minor configuration omissions can create significant security weaknesses that allow attackers to bypass fundamental security controls.