CVE-2008-5857 in Knowledgetree Document Management
Summary
by MITRE
The DropDocuments plugin in KnowledgeTree before 3.5.4a allows remote authenticated users to gain administrative privileges via a certain sequence of "browse documents" and dashboard requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5857 resides within the DropDocuments plugin of KnowledgeTree document management system versions prior to 3.5.4a. This represents a critical privilege escalation flaw that enables authenticated attackers to elevate their privileges from standard user level to administrative access. The vulnerability specifically manifests through a flaw in the plugin's authorization handling mechanism, where certain sequences of requests bypass normal access controls. The affected system operates under the assumption that legitimate users with browse permissions should not be able to perform administrative actions, but the flaw allows for this privilege bypass through carefully constructed request sequences.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a weakness in the authentication and authorization framework where the DropDocuments plugin fails to properly validate user permissions during specific dashboard interactions. When authenticated users execute a sequence involving "browse documents" operations followed by dashboard requests, the system incorrectly grants elevated privileges. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-285 which specifically addresses improper authorization scenarios, where the system fails to properly enforce access controls. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of insufficient privilege checking during multi-step operations, where the system's state management does not adequately validate that the current user context remains appropriate for the requested operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations using KnowledgeTree document management systems, as it allows attackers who have gained initial access through legitimate user accounts to escalate their privileges without requiring additional credentials or exploiting other vulnerabilities. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially enable full system compromise, as administrative access would allow attackers to modify system configurations, access sensitive documents, manipulate user accounts, and potentially exfiltrate data. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to exploit, meaning that an attacker who has obtained valid user credentials can leverage this flaw to gain complete administrative control over the document management system.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation tactics, specifically targeting the credential access and defense evasion domains. Attackers could potentially chain this vulnerability with other reconnaissance activities to map out system capabilities before attempting privilege escalation. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for unusual request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and authorization checking in multi-step processes, particularly in web applications where user sessions may be manipulated through carefully crafted requests. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching to KnowledgeTree version 3.5.4a or later, implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious request sequences, and enhanced monitoring of administrative privilege usage patterns. Additionally, organizations should conduct security assessments to identify similar authorization flaws in other plugins or modules that might be vulnerable to similar privilege escalation attacks.