CVE-2008-2347 in MyPicGallery
Summary
by MITRE
MyPicGallery 1.0 allows remote attackers to bypass application authentication and gain administrative access by setting the userID parameter to "admin" in a direct request to admin/addUser.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-2347 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in MyPicGallery version 1.0 that directly compromises the application's security model. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and authentication mechanisms within the administrative interface, specifically in the addUser.php script. The vulnerability allows an attacker to escalate privileges without proper authentication by simply manipulating the userID parameter to "admin", effectively circumventing the intended access control measures that should protect administrative functions.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability manifests as a classic insecure direct object reference (IDOR) issue combined with weak authentication validation. The application fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses legitimate administrative privileges before processing administrative operations. When an attacker sends a direct HTTP request to admin/addUser.php with the userID parameter set to "admin", the system accepts this value without proper authorization checks, allowing arbitrary users to assume administrative roles. This flaw operates at the application layer and demonstrates poor security implementation where the system trusts user input without proper validation or privilege verification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the affected system. Once authenticated as an administrator, an attacker can perform any administrative function including adding new users, modifying existing accounts, deleting content, accessing sensitive data, and potentially compromising the entire web application infrastructure. This type of vulnerability can be exploited by anyone with access to the web application, making it particularly dangerous as it does not require specialized knowledge or access to privileged accounts. The vulnerability can be exploited through simple web requests, making it easily accessible to attackers with basic web exploitation skills.
The security implications extend beyond immediate unauthorized access, as this vulnerability can serve as a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the network. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this represents a privilege escalation technique that could lead to lateral movement and persistence within the compromised environment. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues, and CWE-346, which covers improper verification of intended destination. Organizations should implement proper input validation, authentication checks, and privilege management to prevent such issues. The recommended mitigations include implementing proper session management, validating user privileges before executing administrative functions, and employing parameterized queries or input sanitization techniques to prevent unauthorized access to administrative interfaces. Regular security testing and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities in web applications.