CVE-2008-5738 in MySQL Calendar
Summary
by MITRE
Nodstrum MySQL Calendar 1.1 and 1.2 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrative access by setting the nodstrumCalendarV2 cookie to 1. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-5738 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in Nodstrum MySQL Calendar versions 1.1 and 1.2. This vulnerability resides in the application's session management and access control mechanisms, specifically targeting how the system handles administrative privileges through client-side cookie manipulation. The flaw allows remote attackers to escalate their privileges without proper authentication credentials, fundamentally undermining the security model of the web application. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of weak session management and improper access control, which are commonly identified in security frameworks as significant risks to application integrity and user data protection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a hardcoded cookie value that serves as a backdoor mechanism for administrative access. When an attacker sets the nodstrumCalendarV2 cookie to the value of 1, the application automatically grants administrative privileges to the user session, bypassing all standard authentication procedures. This represents a classic case of insecure direct object reference or more specifically, a trust relationship violation where the application implicitly trusts client-side input without proper validation or server-side verification. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no valid credentials, no complex exploitation techniques, and can be executed remotely from any location with internet access to the vulnerable system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data compromise, system manipulation, and complete administrative control over the calendar application. Attackers could modify or delete calendar entries, access sensitive scheduling information, manipulate user permissions, and potentially use the compromised system as a foothold for further attacks within the network. This vulnerability directly violates several security principles including the principle of least privilege and the need for proper authentication mechanisms. The implications are severe for organizations relying on this calendar system, as it provides a straightforward path for attackers to gain full administrative control over the application without detection.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and server-side session management controls. The application must validate all cookie values against a predefined set of legitimate values and reject any unauthorized modifications to administrative flags. Security measures should include implementing proper authentication checks for all administrative functions, using secure session management practices, and ensuring that privilege levels cannot be manipulated through client-side input. Organizations should also implement network segmentation, monitor for suspicious cookie values, and conduct regular security audits of web applications. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) and CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery) categories, and represents a clear violation of ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing) when considering the broader attack surface. The remediation requires code-level changes to properly validate administrative access requests and eliminate the hardcoded cookie trust mechanism that enables this bypass.