CVE-2007-4946 in LetterGrade
Summary
by MITRE
LetterGrade allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information (installation path or account existence) via unspecified vectors. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4946 affects the LetterGrade application, which appears to be a grading system or educational software platform. This issue represents a sensitive information disclosure vulnerability that allows remote attackers to gain knowledge about the system's installation path or account existence through unspecified attack vectors. The vulnerability's classification as a sensitive information disclosure indicates that it does not directly enable system compromise but rather provides attackers with intelligence that could facilitate more sophisticated attacks. The lack of detailed information about the specific attack vectors in the original description suggests that this vulnerability may have been initially reported through third-party sources without complete technical analysis.
The technical flaw underlying this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the LetterGrade application. When processing user requests or system interactions, the application likely reveals system-specific information through error messages, response headers, or direct data exposure that inadvertently discloses installation paths or confirms account existence. This type of vulnerability commonly occurs when applications fail to properly handle user input and do not implement adequate access controls or information hiding mechanisms. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack paths may exist, potentially including parameter manipulation, error handling flaws, or insecure direct object references that expose internal system details to unauthorized parties.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical reconnaissance data that could be leveraged in subsequent attacks. Knowledge of the installation path exposes potential attack surfaces and system architecture details that could aid in crafting more targeted exploits or identifying other system vulnerabilities. Account existence information enables attackers to focus their efforts on specific user accounts, potentially leading to credential harvesting, account takeover attempts, or targeted social engineering campaigns. This reconnaissance capability significantly reduces the attack surface complexity for threat actors who might otherwise need to perform extensive enumeration before launching more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability essentially acts as a reconnaissance tool that provides attackers with valuable intelligence for planning further exploitation phases.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4946 should focus on implementing proper input validation, output sanitization, and access control mechanisms within the LetterGrade application. Organizations should ensure that all user inputs are properly validated and that system responses do not reveal installation paths or account existence information. The implementation of proper error handling that does not expose system details represents a fundamental security control that addresses this type of vulnerability. Additionally, access controls should be enforced to prevent unauthorized users from accessing account information or system paths through legitimate application interfaces. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which specifically addresses "Information Exposure," and could potentially map to ATT&CK technique T1083, "File and Directory Discovery," as attackers may use the disclosed information to enumerate system resources. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar information disclosure vulnerabilities across the application's attack surface.