CVE-2007-6662 in CuteNews
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in file.php in CuteNews 2.6 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the file parameter, as demonstrated by reading the admin username and password hash in data/users.db.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6662 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within CuteNews 2.6's file.php component that enables remote attackers to access arbitrary files on the target system. This vulnerability operates through a simple yet dangerous mechanism where an attacker can manipulate the file parameter by including .. (dot dot) sequences to navigate outside the intended directory structure and access restricted files. The specific exploitation demonstrated in this case involved reading the admin credentials stored in data/users.db.php, which contains the username and password hash of the administrator account. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-22 - Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which is a fundamental security flaw that allows attackers to bypass access controls and retrieve sensitive information from the file system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the file.php script. When a user submits a request with a file parameter containing directory traversal sequences, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize the input before using it in file operations. This lack of proper input filtering allows the attacker to manipulate the file path and access files outside the intended directory boundaries. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited without authentication, making it a prime target for initial reconnaissance and privilege escalation attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1083 - File and Directory Discovery and T1566 - Phishing, as attackers can use such vulnerabilities to discover and extract sensitive information from compromised systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with direct access to administrative credentials that can be used to completely compromise the system. Once an attacker obtains the password hash from data/users.db.php, they can attempt offline cracking attacks or use the credentials to gain direct administrative access to the CuteNews installation. This access could enable further exploitation including uploading malicious files, modifying content, or establishing persistent backdoors within the system. The vulnerability also poses risks to the broader network infrastructure if CuteNews is part of a larger application ecosystem where administrative credentials might be reused across multiple systems. Organizations running vulnerable versions of CuteNews face significant exposure to data breaches, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within their network environments. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill and can be automated, making it particularly attractive to both automated attacks and less sophisticated threat actors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-6662 should focus on immediate patching of the CuteNews application to the latest secure version that addresses this directory traversal vulnerability. Organizations should implement proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms to prevent directory traversal sequences from being processed as legitimate file paths. The implementation of a whitelist approach for file operations, where only predefined and safe file paths are allowed, provides an effective defense against such attacks. Additionally, access controls should be strengthened to limit the permissions of the web application's file system access, ensuring that even if traversal attacks succeed, the attacker's access remains restricted. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's infrastructure. The use of web application firewalls and security monitoring systems can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regularly rotating administrative credentials to minimize the impact of credential exposure. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle to prevent such fundamental flaws from reaching production environments.