CVE-2007-3587 in MyCMS
Summary
by MITRE
MyCMS 0.9.8 and earlier allows remote attackers to gain privileges via the admin cookie parameter, as demonstrated by a post to admin/settings.php that injects PHP code into settings.inc, which can then be executed via a direct request to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-3587 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within MyCMS version 0.9.8 and earlier systems. This security weakness allows remote attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain administrative privileges through manipulation of the admin cookie parameter. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the CMS framework, specifically in how it handles administrative session management and configuration file updates.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted POST request to the admin/settings.php endpoint. This attack vector demonstrates a classic case of insecure parameter handling where the admin cookie parameter is not properly validated or sanitized before being processed. When an attacker submits malicious input through this parameter, the system fails to properly escape or validate the data, allowing PHP code injection into the settings.inc configuration file. This injection occurs because the application directly incorporates user-supplied data into executable code without proper security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the affected CMS installation. Once successfully exploited, the attacker can modify system settings, add or remove users, access sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised system as a launching point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows code execution through a direct request to index.php, meaning that the injected PHP code becomes immediately executable without requiring additional attack steps. This creates a persistent backdoor that can be used for ongoing unauthorized access.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and CWE-79, which covers cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. The attack pattern follows techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1078 for valid accounts and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter. The flaw demonstrates poor secure coding practices where user input is directly incorporated into system configuration files without proper sanitization or context-aware escaping mechanisms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching to the latest MyCMS version, implementing proper input validation for all administrative parameters, and establishing secure configuration file handling procedures that prevent arbitrary code injection.
The remediation strategy should include comprehensive code review to identify similar input handling vulnerabilities throughout the application, implementation of proper parameter sanitization and validation routines, and deployment of web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious parameter manipulation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential privilege escalation vectors that may exist in legacy systems. Organizations maintaining older CMS installations should prioritize migration to supported versions or implement additional security controls to mitigate the risk of exploitation.