CVE-2008-4585 in Site Builder
Summary
by MITRE
Belong Software Site Builder 0.1 beta allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and perform administrative actions via a direct request to admin/home.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4585 affects Belong Software Site Builder version 0.1 beta, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the software's security model. This issue stems from inadequate authentication and authorization mechanisms within the application's administrative interface, specifically exposing the admin/home.php endpoint to unauthorized remote access. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting through exploitation of weak access controls.
The technical implementation of this flaw allows remote attackers to directly access administrative functions without proper authentication by simply making a direct HTTP request to the admin/home.php file. This bypass occurs due to missing or ineffective session management, user authentication checks, and privilege validation mechanisms. The software fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges before executing administrative operations, creating a path for unauthorized users to perform actions such as modifying site configurations, adding users, or accessing sensitive administrative data. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in the principle of least privilege, where administrative functions are exposed without proper authorization verification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially enabling full administrative control over affected systems. Attackers can leverage this flaw to manipulate website content, modify user permissions, access confidential data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or local system compromise. This creates a significant risk for organizations relying on the affected software, particularly those hosting websites where the software is deployed, as the vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise and data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper authentication and authorization controls across all administrative endpoints. Organizations should immediately apply patches or updates provided by the software vendor, if available, or implement compensating controls such as network segmentation, web application firewalls, and access control lists to restrict direct access to administrative files. The solution must include robust session management, proper user authentication verification, and privilege enforcement mechanisms. Additionally, security monitoring should be implemented to detect unauthorized access attempts and administrative function calls. This vulnerability underscores the importance of secure coding practices and proper access control implementation as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines.