CVE-2008-0807 in Turba Contact Manager
Summary
by MITRE
lib/Driver/sql.php in Turba 2 (turba2) Contact Manager H3 2.1.x before 2.1.7 and 2.2.x before 2.2-RC3, as used in products such as Horde Groupware before 1.0.4 and Horde Groupware Webmail Edition before 1.0.5, does not properly check access rights, which allows remote authenticated users to modify address data via a modified object_id parameter to edit.php, as demonstrated by modifying a personal address book entry when there is write access to a shared address book.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0807 represents a critical access control flaw within the Turba contact management system component of Horde Groupware platforms. This issue affects versions 2.1.x prior to 2.1.7 and 2.2.x prior to 2.2-RC3, impacting the broader Horde Groupware ecosystem including Horde Groupware before 1.0.4 and Horde Groupware Webmail Edition before 1.0.5. The flaw resides in the lib/Driver/sql.php file where the system fails to properly validate user permissions before allowing modifications to contact data, creating a significant security gap that undermines the integrity of address book management functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the edit.php script. When authenticated users attempt to modify contact information through the web interface, the system accepts a modified object_id parameter without proper authorization checks. This parameter typically identifies the specific contact record to be modified, but due to the flawed access control implementation, users can manipulate this parameter to target contact entries they should not have the authority to modify. The vulnerability specifically manifests when users possess write access to shared address books, enabling them to escalate their privileges and alter personal address book entries that belong to other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it compromises the fundamental security model of shared address book functionality within Horde Groupware environments. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive personal information, potentially leading to privacy violations and data integrity breaches. The flaw particularly affects collaborative environments where shared address books are common, as it allows malicious users to modify entries they shouldn't be able to access, potentially altering contact details, phone numbers, email addresses, or other personal information of other users. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and can result in significant damage to user privacy and organizational security posture.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting through social engineering. Organizations implementing affected versions of Horde Groupware should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches available in versions 2.1.7 and 2.2-RC3 respectively. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit access to administrative functions, monitoring for unusual modification patterns in address book entries, and conducting regular security audits of shared resource access controls. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and proper access control implementation, particularly in collaborative software environments where multiple users share common resources.