CVE-2008-5708 in SlimCMS
Summary
by MITRE
redirect.php in SlimCMS 1.0.0 does not require authentication, which allows remote attackers to create administrative users by using the newusername and newpassword parameters and setting the newisadmin parameter to 1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5708 resides within the redirect.php component of SlimCMS version 1.0.0, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that fundamentally undermines the application's security model. This issue stems from the application's failure to implement proper access controls, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to exploit a seemingly benign administrative function that should only be accessible to authorized users. The vulnerability manifests through the manipulation of specific HTTP parameters including newusername, newpassword, and newisadmin, which when properly configured by an attacker can result in the creation of administrative accounts without any legitimate authorization.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and access control mechanisms within the application's authentication framework. The redirect.php script appears to process user creation requests without verifying whether the requesting entity possesses administrative privileges or even basic authentication credentials. This design flaw directly violates fundamental security principles and represents a clear violation of CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization issues in software applications. The vulnerability enables attackers to escalate their privileges from regular user status to administrative level through simple parameter manipulation, bypassing all intended security controls that should prevent unauthorized access to administrative functions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations utilizing SlimCMS 1.0.0, as it allows complete system compromise through a single attack vector. An attacker can create administrative accounts with full privileges, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system modification, service disruption, or even complete system takeover. The remote nature of this vulnerability means that attackers do not require physical access or network proximity to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network exposure is unavoidable. The impact extends beyond immediate system compromise to include potential lateral movement within networks, as administrative accounts often provide access to additional systems and resources that may be protected by similar authentication mechanisms.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly under the privilege escalation and credential access domains. Attackers leveraging this flaw would typically begin by identifying the vulnerable redirect.php endpoint, then craft malicious requests containing the appropriate parameters to create administrative accounts. This approach represents a common exploitation pattern where attackers target authentication bypass vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to privileged functions. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling or restricting access to the vulnerable endpoint, implementing proper authentication controls, and conducting thorough security audits to identify similar issues within their application codebase. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to prevent similar issues from occurring in future software deployments.
Organizations should prioritize patching or upgrading to newer versions of SlimCMS that address this authentication bypass vulnerability, as the affected version 1.0.0 likely contains additional security weaknesses that could be exploited in conjunction with this flaw. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of vulnerable applications to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual account creation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper authentication implementation and input validation in web applications, as even simple oversight in these areas can result in complete system compromise.