CVE-2007-3647 in phpTrafficA
Summary
by MITRE
The isloggedin function in Php/login.inc.php in phpTrafficA 1.4.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and obtain administrative access by setting the username cookie to "traffic." NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3647 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in phpTrafficA version 1.4.3 and earlier. This issue resides within the isloggedin function located in Php/login.inc.php, which governs the application's user authentication mechanism. The flaw stems from improper validation of authentication credentials, specifically targeting how the system handles username cookies during the login process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a hardcoded credential bypass mechanism where attackers can manipulate the username cookie value to "traffic" to gain administrative privileges without proper authentication. This represents a classic weak authentication vulnerability that allows unauthorized access to administrative functions. The flaw operates at the application logic level, where the system fails to properly validate user credentials against a legitimate authentication database or user registry.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe security risk for any organization using affected versions of phpTrafficA. Attackers can gain full administrative control over the traffic analysis system, potentially allowing them to manipulate traffic data, modify system configurations, access sensitive analytics, and perform unauthorized administrative actions. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it compromises the integrity and confidentiality of the entire traffic monitoring infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues and represents a significant deviation from secure authentication practices.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is straightforward and remote, requiring no special privileges or complex exploitation techniques. An attacker simply needs to set a specific cookie value to "traffic" which then grants administrative access to the phpTrafficA system. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring physical access or complex attack chains. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation and authentication logic implementation that violates fundamental security principles.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of phpTrafficA, implementing proper authentication mechanisms, and conducting thorough security reviews of all authentication-related code. The recommended remediation involves correcting the isloggedin function to properly validate user credentials against a legitimate authentication source rather than relying on hardcoded bypass mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper cookie security measures, including secure flag settings and HttpOnly attributes, can help prevent exploitation. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks, particularly regarding authentication and session management controls. The issue serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper authentication implementation and the potential consequences of hardcoding credentials or bypass mechanisms in web applications.