CVE-2007-4260 in Ez Photo Sales
Summary
by MITRE
EZPhotoSales 1.9.3 and earlier has a default "admin" account for galleries, which allows remote attackers to access arbitrary galleries by specifying this username.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4260 affects EZPhotoSales version 1.9.3 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw that stems from the application's default administrative account configuration. This issue represents a fundamental weakness in the software's authentication mechanism, where a hardcoded administrative user account exists with a predictable username "admin" that is accessible to remote attackers without proper authorization. The flaw allows unauthorized individuals to gain access to arbitrary galleries within the system by simply specifying this default username, bypassing normal authentication procedures and potentially exposing sensitive content or administrative controls.
This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-798, which addresses the use of hard-coded credentials in software applications, and CWE-259, which covers the use of hard-coded passwords or keys. The flaw demonstrates poor security practices in credential management and access control implementation, where the application fails to enforce proper authentication mechanisms for gallery access. The default account configuration creates a persistent security risk that remains active regardless of system updates or user modifications, making it particularly dangerous for environments where the software is deployed without proper security hardening.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to access and potentially manipulate gallery content, including viewing, modifying, or deleting sensitive media assets. The ability to access arbitrary galleries suggests that the flaw extends beyond simple credential guessing to include a complete bypass of the application's intended access control model. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to multiple gallery instances, potentially leading to data exposure, content manipulation, or even complete system compromise if the application has additional administrative capabilities beyond gallery management.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts used for unauthorized access, as attackers can leverage the legitimate administrative account to bypass normal security controls. The flaw also maps to ATT&CK technique T1110.001, involving password guessing or brute force attacks, though in this case the password is not guessed but rather known through default configuration. Organizations using EZPhotoSales in production environments face significant risk from this vulnerability, as it represents a persistent backdoor that can be exploited by any attacker with network access to the application.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate remediation through software updates to versions that address this default account issue, implementing proper access control mechanisms, and disabling or removing default administrative accounts. Security hardening procedures should include changing default credentials, implementing strong authentication requirements, and establishing proper user privilege management. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify similar hardcoded credentials in other applications and implement centralized credential management systems. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices, including avoiding hardcoded credentials and implementing proper authentication frameworks that do not rely on predictable default accounts for system access.