CVE-2008-0350 in Evilsentinel
Summary
by MITRE
admin/index.php in Evilsentinel 1.0.9 and earlier sends a redirect to the web browser but does not exit, which allows remote attackers to gain administrative privileges and make arbitrary configuration changes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0350 represents a critical access control flaw within the Evilsentinel 1.0.9 web application framework. This issue manifests in the admin/index.php script where the application processes authentication redirects without properly terminating the execution flow. The flaw creates a scenario where unauthorized remote attackers can exploit the incomplete redirect mechanism to bypass authentication checks and escalate their privileges to administrative levels. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper session management and access validation controls, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the application's flow and gain unauthorized administrative access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's handling of redirect responses in the administrative interface. When legitimate authentication attempts fail or when the application processes certain administrative requests, it issues a redirect response to the browser but continues executing subsequent code paths. This behavior creates a code execution gap where an attacker can manipulate the application state through crafted requests, effectively bypassing the intended authentication flow. The flaw operates at the application logic level, specifically in the session handling and authorization validation components. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-285: Improper Authorization, which addresses issues where applications fail to properly verify that authenticated users have appropriate access rights to perform specific operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching within the context of web application security. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can not only gain administrative access to the Evilsentinel application but can also make arbitrary configuration changes that could compromise the entire system. This includes modifying user accounts, altering system settings, accessing sensitive data, and potentially establishing persistent backdoors. The vulnerability essentially allows for complete system compromise, as administrative privileges provide unrestricted access to all application features and underlying system resources. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability corresponds to T1078: Valid Accounts and T1548.001: Abuse of Functionality, where attackers leverage legitimate administrative access to perform malicious activities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention and implementation of proper code-level fixes. The primary solution involves modifying the admin/index.php script to ensure that all redirect operations are properly terminated with exit or die statements to prevent further code execution. Additionally, implementing proper session management controls, enforcing strict access validation checks, and ensuring that all administrative operations require proper authentication verification before proceeding with any privileged actions. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation, employ proper error handling mechanisms, and conduct regular security code reviews to identify similar logic flaws. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principle of least privilege in web application development, ensuring that access controls are properly enforced at every stage of application execution.