CVE-2008-6716 in ADS Portal
Summary
by MITRE
homeadmin/adminhome.php in Pre ADS Portal 2.0 and earlier does not require administrative authentication, which allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via a direct request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6716 affects the Pre ADS Portal version 2.0 and earlier, specifically targeting the homeadmin/adminhome.php component. This represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that undermines the fundamental security controls of the application. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper administrative authentication checks within the administrative interface, allowing any remote attacker to access privileged administrative functions without proper authorization. The flaw exists in the application's access control mechanism, where the system fails to validate user credentials or roles before granting access to administrative functionalities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it within the scope of CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems. This weakness enables attackers to perform unauthorized administrative actions that could range from data manipulation to complete system compromise. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically affecting the web application's authentication and authorization logic. Attackers can exploit this by directly accessing the vulnerable endpoint without needing valid administrative credentials, thereby circumventing the intended security controls that should restrict access to privileged functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it provides remote attackers with unrestricted access to administrative capabilities within the Pre ADS Portal. This unauthorized access could enable attackers to modify system configurations, manipulate user data, delete critical files, or even install malicious code within the application environment. The unspecified impact mentioned in the CVE description suggests that the consequences could be severe and potentially include complete system takeover, data exfiltration, or service disruption. Given that the vulnerability allows direct requests without authentication, attackers can exploit this remotely without requiring physical access or legitimate credentials, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper authentication and authorization controls within the application. The primary fix involves adding robust access control checks to the homeadmin/adminhome.php script to ensure that only authenticated administrators can access the administrative interface. This includes implementing session management controls, role-based access controls, and proper credential validation mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation, firewall rules, and monitoring solutions to detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities within the application and ensure that all administrative endpoints properly validate user permissions before granting access to privileged functions. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies and proper access control mechanisms as outlined in the mitre attack framework, particularly focusing on privilege escalation and unauthorized access techniques.