CVE-2008-3203 in AuraCMS
Summary
by MITRE
js/pages/pages_data.php in AuraCMS 2.2 through 2.2.2 does not perform authentication, which allows remote attackers to add, edit, and delete web content via a modified id parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3203 resides within the AuraCMS content management system version 2.2 through 2.2.2, specifically affecting the js/pages/pages_data.php script. This represents a critical security flaw that fundamentally undermines the system's access control mechanisms and exposes sensitive administrative functions to unauthorized users. The vulnerability manifests as a lack of proper authentication checks within the JavaScript component responsible for managing page data operations, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate web content without proper authorization.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the absence of authentication validation when processing requests through the pages_data.php endpoint. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that modify the id parameter, thereby bypassing the normal authentication flow that should verify user credentials before permitting content modification operations. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-284, which describes improper access control mechanisms, and represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks in web applications. The flaw allows for arbitrary execution of administrative functions including content addition, editing, and deletion operations that should only be available to authenticated administrators.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for any organization utilizing affected AuraCMS versions. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to completely compromise website integrity by injecting malicious content, modifying existing pages to distribute malware, or removing critical website content entirely. The vulnerability enables persistent threats where attackers can establish backdoors through content manipulation, deface websites to damage brand reputation, or use the compromised system as a launching point for further attacks against the organization's network infrastructure. This type of vulnerability also falls under ATT&CK technique T1190, which describes exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, and T1485, which covers data manipulation through unauthorized access to content management systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. Organizations should immediately upgrade to a patched version of AuraCMS that implements proper authentication checks for all administrative endpoints, ensuring that the pages_data.php script validates user credentials before processing any content modification requests. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor and filter suspicious requests targeting known vulnerable endpoints. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and parameter sanitization can help prevent parameter manipulation attacks, while regular security audits should verify that all administrative functions properly enforce authorization controls. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies where multiple layers of security controls work together to prevent unauthorized access to administrative functions, as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security principles and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.