CVE-2008-1507 in PEEL
Summary
by MITRE
PEEL, possibly 3.x and earlier, has (1) a default [email protected] account with password admin, and (2) a default [email protected] account with password cinema, which allows remote attackers to gain administrative access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-1507 affects PEEL, a content management system or web application that was version 3.x or earlier at the time of discovery. This issue represents a critical security flaw that stems from improper default credential configuration within the application's authentication mechanism. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's account management system where default administrative accounts are created with predictable usernames and passwords, creating an easily exploitable attack vector for remote threat actors.
The technical flaw manifests through the presence of two hardcoded default accounts within the PEEL application that are not properly secured or disabled during the installation process. The first account uses the username infopeel.fr with the password admin, while the second account utilizes contactpeel.fr with the password cinema. These default credentials are typically included in the application's installation package and remain active unless explicitly changed by the system administrator. This configuration violates fundamental security principles by providing known, predictable credentials that can be easily discovered and exploited without requiring any specialized knowledge or advanced techniques.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to gain full administrative access to the affected PEEL application, which provides them with complete control over the system's functionality and data. The implications are severe as attackers can modify content, alter user permissions, access sensitive information, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access or local network presence to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in internet-facing applications.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-798, which addresses the use of hard-coded credentials in software applications, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1078 which covers Valid Accounts, and T1046 which covers Network Service Scanning, as attackers would likely first identify the vulnerable system and then attempt to authenticate using the default credentials. The presence of these default accounts also violates security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-160 and ISO/IEC 27001, which emphasize the importance of secure configuration and proper credential management.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from system administrators to address the hardcoded credentials issue. The primary recommendation involves changing the default administrative passwords for both accounts immediately after installation and ensuring that these credentials are properly secured using strong, unique passwords that meet complexity requirements. Additionally, organizations should implement automated security scanning to identify and remediate such default credentials in their systems. The application should be configured to disable default accounts entirely during installation, and administrators should be educated on the importance of changing default credentials as part of their initial system setup. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to ensure that similar issues do not exist in other components of the system architecture.