CVE-2008-4245 in Rianxosencabos
Summary
by MITRE
The Admin Control Panel in Rianxosencabos CMS 0.9 does not require administrator privileges, which allows remote authenticated users to (1) change a user s privileges, (2) delete a user account, or perform unspecified other administrative actions via vectors involving an admin lista action to the default URI, possibly related to useradmin.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-4245 represents a critical access control flaw within the Rianxosencabos CMS version 0.9 administrative interface. This issue stems from insufficient authentication checks in the Admin Control Panel implementation, creating a scenario where authenticated users can escalate their privileges and perform administrative functions without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically affects the user management capabilities within the system, allowing malicious actors to manipulate user accounts and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the admin lista action endpoint at the default URI, which is likely implemented in the useradmin.php file as referenced in the description. This flaw demonstrates a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where the system fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative credentials before executing sensitive operations. The absence of proper access control mechanisms means that any authenticated user can potentially invoke administrative functions, creating a pathway for unauthorized system manipulation. This type of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-285: Improper Authorization, which specifically addresses situations where the system fails to properly enforce access controls for privileged operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows remote authenticated users to perform multiple dangerous administrative actions including privilege modification and user account deletion. This capability enables attackers to compromise user accounts, potentially creating new administrative accounts, or completely removing legitimate users from the system. The unspecified other administrative actions mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that the scope of potential exploitation may extend beyond the explicitly mentioned functions, potentially including data manipulation, system configuration changes, or complete system compromise. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous in web applications where user authentication is already established, as they allow attackers to leverage existing authenticated sessions for unauthorized administrative activities.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078: Valid Accounts, as it allows attackers to exploit legitimate authenticated sessions to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability also relates to T1548.001: Abuse of Functionality, where attackers abuse existing system functions to achieve unauthorized access. Organizations using Rianxosencabos CMS 0.9 should implement immediate mitigations including proper access control validation, input sanitization, and enforcement of role-based access controls. The recommended remediation involves implementing strict authorization checks before executing any administrative functions, ensuring that only users with proper administrative privileges can access and execute admin lista actions. Additionally, security audits should verify that all administrative endpoints properly validate user credentials and roles before granting access to sensitive operations. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies and proper access control mechanisms in web applications to prevent privilege escalation attacks.