CVE-2008-5221 in wPortfolio
Summary
by MITRE
The account_save action in admin/userinfo.php in wPortfolio 0.3 and earlier does not require authentication and does not require knowledge of the original password, which allows remote attackers to change the admin account password via modified password and password_retype parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5221 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in the wPortfolio content management system version 0.3 and earlier. This issue resides within the admin/userinfo.php script where the account_save action function lacks proper authentication mechanisms, creating a significant security weakness that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring valid credentials or knowledge of existing administrative passwords.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of authentication checks within the account_save function, which processes password modification requests. Attackers can exploit this by directly submitting modified password and password_retype parameters to the admin/userinfo.php endpoint without any prior authentication. This design flaw violates fundamental security principles and directly contravenes the principle of least privilege, as the system fails to verify the identity of users attempting administrative password changes. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, specifically focusing on authentication bypass through insufficient verification mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for any system running affected versions of wPortfolio. Remote attackers can immediately assume administrative control of the application by simply modifying password parameters, effectively taking complete control over the entire system. This compromise enables unauthorized users to modify content, delete files, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the compromised environment. The vulnerability essentially eliminates the need for attackers to first obtain valid credentials or exploit additional weaknesses, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that rely on administrative accounts for critical operations.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of wPortfolio should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest available version of the software, implementing proper authentication mechanisms for all administrative functions, and conducting comprehensive security audits of their web applications. Additional protective measures include network segmentation, firewall rules restricting access to administrative endpoints, and implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious parameter modifications. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as attackers can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized administrative access without traditional attack vectors. The remediation process should also involve reviewing all administrative interfaces for similar authentication bypass issues and implementing proper input validation and access control checks to prevent future occurrences of such vulnerabilities.