CVE-2008-3211 in Free Image Hosting Script
Summary
by MITRE
Scripteen Free Image Hosting Script 1.2 and 1.2.1 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrative access by setting the cookid cookie value to 1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-3211 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in Scripteen Free Image Hosting Script versions 1.2 and 1.2.1. This issue stems from a fundamental design flaw in the application's session management and access control mechanisms, where the system fails to properly validate user privileges before granting administrative capabilities. The vulnerability specifically exploits the cookie-based authentication system by manipulating the cookid cookie value, which should normally be validated against legitimate administrative sessions but instead allows arbitrary access when set to the value of 1.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insecure direct object reference and weak authentication controls. When an attacker sets the cookid cookie to 1, the application incorrectly interprets this value as sufficient authorization to bypass all normal authentication checks and elevate privileges to administrative level. This flaw operates at the application logic level where the system assumes that any request with cookid=1 constitutes a valid administrative session without proper verification of session legitimacy, user credentials, or actual administrative privileges. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows remote attackers to completely compromise the affected system without requiring any valid credentials or exploitation of other vulnerabilities. An attacker can simply modify the cookid cookie value to 1 and gain full administrative access to the image hosting platform, enabling them to upload malicious files, modify existing content, delete images, access user data, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network. The remote nature of this vulnerability means that attackers do not need physical access to the system or any local network presence, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that are publicly accessible.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper authentication and session management controls. Organizations should immediately patch the affected versions of Scripteen Free Image Hosting Script to the latest available release that addresses this authentication bypass issue. Additionally, proper input validation and sanitization should be implemented to ensure that cookie values are properly validated against legitimate administrative sessions rather than accepting arbitrary values. The application should enforce strong session management practices including proper session regeneration, secure cookie attributes, and validation of session legitimacy before granting administrative privileges. Security headers should be configured to prevent cookie manipulation, and access controls should be implemented at multiple layers to ensure that administrative functions require proper authentication and authorization checks rather than relying on simple cookie value comparisons. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper privilege validation and demonstrates how seemingly simple authentication mechanisms can be exploited to achieve complete system compromise.