CVE-2007-4338 in Family Connections Cms
Summary
by MITRE
index.php in Ryan Haudenschilt Family Connections (FCMS) before 0.9 allows remote attackers to access an arbitrary account by placing the account s name in the value of an fcms_login_id cookie. NOTE: this can be leveraged for code execution via a POST with PHP code in the content parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4338 affects Ryan Haudenschilt Family Connections (FCMS) version 0.9 and earlier, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that enables remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to arbitrary user accounts. This vulnerability specifically resides in the index.php file and exploits a weakness in how the application processes the fcms_login_id cookie parameter, which serves as a critical authentication mechanism within the system.
The technical flaw manifests through improper input validation and authentication handling where the fcms_login_id cookie value is directly used to determine the target account without adequate verification or sanitization. Attackers can manipulate this cookie parameter to specify any account name they wish to access, effectively bypassing the normal authentication process. This weakness falls under CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a classic example of insecure direct object reference vulnerability where the application fails to verify that the authenticated user has proper access rights to the requested resource. The vulnerability creates a pathway for privilege escalation and unauthorized data access by allowing any remote attacker to impersonate legitimate users within the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to account information, as it can be leveraged for code execution through additional attack vectors. When combined with a POST request containing PHP code in the content parameter, attackers can execute arbitrary commands on the server, transforming a simple authentication bypass into a full system compromise. This combination of vulnerabilities enables attackers to perform actions ranging from data exfiltration and modification of user accounts to complete server takeover. The attack chain follows ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through credential manipulation and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter for PHP code execution, creating a comprehensive attack scenario that can lead to persistent system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the FCMS application to version 0.9 or later, which addresses the authentication bypass flaw through proper input validation and authentication checks. Organizations should implement proper cookie security measures including secure flag settings and HttpOnly attributes to prevent client-side manipulation of authentication cookies. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to monitor for suspicious cookie values and malformed authentication requests. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and authentication validation mechanisms ensures that all account access requests undergo proper verification before granting system privileges. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and prevent exploitation of similar authentication bypass techniques.