CVE-2008-6375 in JBook
Summary
by MITRE
JBook stores sensitive information under the web root with insufficient access control, which allows remote attackers to download the database file via a direct request to userids.mdb.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-6375 represents a critical security flaw in the JBook application that exposes sensitive data through improper access control mechanisms. This issue stems from the application's improper handling of database files within its web directory structure, creating an avenue for remote attackers to directly access and download confidential information without proper authentication or authorization. The vulnerability specifically affects the userids.mdb database file, which likely contains user credentials, personal information, or other sensitive data that should remain protected from unauthorized access.
The technical flaw manifests through the application's failure to implement proper access controls for files stored within the web root directory. When sensitive database files are placed in directories accessible via standard web requests, they become vulnerable to direct URL access without proper authentication checks. This misconfiguration allows attackers to construct malicious URLs pointing directly to the database file, bypassing any application-level security measures that should normally protect such sensitive information. The vulnerability is classified as a weakness in access control mechanisms, aligning with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control and CWE-285 which covers improper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with immediate access to the entire user database without requiring any special privileges or complex exploitation techniques. Remote attackers can simply construct a direct request to userids.mdb and download the complete database file, potentially exposing hundreds or thousands of user accounts along with their associated credentials or personal information. This type of vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and can lead to identity theft, unauthorized account access, data breaches, and compliance violations under various data protection regulations including GDPR and HIPAA.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is straightforward and requires minimal technical expertise to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in production environments. Attackers need only know the path to the database file and can execute a simple HTTP request to retrieve the entire database contents. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 which covers data from information repositories, and T1078 which covers valid accounts for lateral movement. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including proper file access controls, removing sensitive files from web-accessible directories, implementing proper authentication mechanisms, and conducting regular security audits to identify and remediate similar misconfigurations. Additionally, the principle of least privilege should be enforced to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive data files, and all web applications should be configured to prevent direct access to database files through web servers.