CVE-2008-6143 in OwenPoll
Summary
by MITRE
OwenPoll 1.0 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and obtain administrative access via a modified account name in the username cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6143 affects OwenPoll version 1.0, a web-based polling application that suffers from a critical authentication bypass flaw. This issue stems from improper validation of user credentials within the application's cookie handling mechanism, specifically targeting the username cookie parameter. The flaw enables remote attackers to escalate their privileges and gain administrative access to the system without proper authentication. The vulnerability represents a significant security weakness that undermines the fundamental access control mechanisms of the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize cookie data during the authentication process. When users log in to OwenPoll 1.0, the system stores authentication information in a username cookie. Attackers can manipulate this cookie value by modifying the account name field to include administrative privileges or by crafting specially formatted cookie data. This weakness occurs because the application does not perform adequate input validation or access control checks on the cookie contents before granting access rights. The vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices and inadequate session management, allowing unauthorized privilege escalation through simple cookie manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the polling system. Once authenticated, attackers can modify poll configurations, manipulate results, delete polls, and potentially access sensitive user data stored within the application. This represents a severe compromise of data integrity and system availability, as malicious actors can alter the fundamental purpose of the polling application. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected version, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the system and where poll data integrity is crucial for decision-making processes.
Security professionals should address this vulnerability through immediate patching of the OwenPoll 1.0 application to the latest version that contains proper authentication controls. The fix should implement robust input validation for all cookie parameters and enforce proper access control checks before granting administrative privileges. Additionally, organizations should implement proper session management practices, including secure cookie attributes such as HttpOnly and Secure flags, and consider implementing additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. Regular security testing and code reviews should be implemented to prevent similar issues in future development cycles, emphasizing the importance of secure authentication mechanisms and proper input sanitization practices across all web applications.