CVE-2008-5319 in Tikiwiki
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Tikiwiki before 2.2 has unknown impact and attack vectors related to tiki-error.php, a different issue than CVE-2008-3653.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5319 affects Tikiwiki version 2.2 and earlier, representing an unspecified security flaw within the tiki-error.php component of the web-based content management system. This vulnerability differs from CVE-2008-3653, which indicates that the security issue resides in a distinct code module within the same software ecosystem. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability's impact and attack vectors suggests that the exact technical details of how an attacker could exploit this weakness were not fully disclosed at the time of the vulnerability report, making it particularly concerning for security professionals who must assess risk without complete information. The tiki-error.php file typically handles error conditions and user feedback within the application, making it a potential entry point for malicious actors seeking to disrupt service or gain unauthorized access to the system.
The technical flaw within tiki-error.php likely stems from improper handling of error messages, input validation, or exception management that could be exploited to execute arbitrary code, bypass authentication mechanisms, or cause denial of service conditions. This type of vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses such as those categorized under CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting or CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, though the exact classification requires further analysis of the specific implementation details. The vulnerability's location within error handling functionality is particularly dangerous because error pages often contain sensitive system information or are designed to process user input without proper sanitization, creating potential attack surfaces for injection attacks or information disclosure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations relying on Tikiwiki versions prior to 2.2, as attackers could potentially exploit the unspecified weakness to compromise the entire web application. The impact could range from data leakage through information disclosure to complete system compromise, depending on how the vulnerability manifests. Organizations using affected versions face potential exposure to various attack vectors including but not limited to cross-site scripting attacks, server-side request forgery, or privilege escalation. The attack vectors remain unspecified, which means security teams must assume the worst-case scenario and implement comprehensive monitoring and defensive measures.
Security mitigations for CVE-2008-5319 should prioritize immediate upgrade to Tikiwiki version 2.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the vulnerable application to untrusted networks. Regular security assessments and code reviews of error handling components should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated version to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues or regressions in functionality. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this and similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping web applications updated and maintaining comprehensive security monitoring practices. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability's characteristics also underscores the need for proactive vulnerability management and the implementation of defense-in-depth strategies that reduce reliance on single points of failure.