CVE-2008-2226 in OpenKM
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the export feature in OpenKM before 2.0 allows remote attackers to export arbitrary documents via unspecified vectors. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2226 affects OpenKM version 2.0 and earlier, specifically targeting the export functionality within the document management system. This unspecified weakness in the export feature creates a potential security risk that could be exploited by remote attackers to access and export documents that they should not have authorization to retrieve. The vulnerability's classification as unspecified indicates that the precise technical mechanism enabling the arbitrary document export remains partially obscured, though the implications for unauthorized data access are clear. OpenKM, as a comprehensive document management solution, handles sensitive corporate and personal information, making any vulnerability in its export capabilities particularly concerning from a data protection perspective.
The technical flaw manifests within the export feature's access control mechanisms, where proper authentication and authorization checks appear to be bypassed or inadequately implemented. Attackers can leverage unspecified vectors to manipulate the export process and retrieve documents that should be restricted based on user permissions or document security settings. This represents a critical breakdown in the system's information flow control, allowing unauthorized data exfiltration through legitimate system functions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft, as it could enable attackers to systematically harvest sensitive information from the document repository. The lack of specific technical details in the original description suggests that this may involve improper input validation, insufficient access control checks, or flawed privilege escalation mechanisms within the export module.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on OpenKM for document management, particularly those handling confidential or regulated information. Remote attackers could exploit this weakness to access proprietary documents, personal data, or sensitive business information without detection, potentially leading to intellectual property theft, compliance violations, or competitive disadvantages. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it operates over remote network connections, meaning that attackers do not require physical access to the system or insider knowledge to exploit the vulnerability. Organizations using affected versions of OpenKM may unknowingly allow unauthorized access to their document repositories, creating potential for widespread data compromise across multiple user accounts and document categories.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2008-2226 requires immediate action to upgrade to OpenKM version 2.0 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed through improved access control mechanisms and enhanced export functionality. Organizations should implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit access to the OpenKM system, particularly restricting export capabilities to authorized personnel only. Additional security measures include enabling comprehensive logging of export activities, implementing regular security audits of document access patterns, and conducting vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other system components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and data extraction through legitimate system interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing data loss prevention measures to monitor and control document movement within their network infrastructure, particularly focusing on export operations that could facilitate unauthorized data access.