CVE-2008-6747 in dotProject
Summary
by MITRE
dotProject before 2.1.2 does not properly restrict access to administrative pages, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6747 affects dotProject versions prior to 2.1.2, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the application's security model. This issue stems from inadequate privilege validation mechanisms within the web-based project management platform, creating a pathway for unauthorized users to escalate their privileges and gain administrative access. The flaw exists in the application's authorization logic, where proper checks are not enforced when accessing sensitive administrative pages, allowing malicious actors to bypass normal user restrictions and assume elevated roles within the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the application's session management and access control components, where authentication status is not consistently verified before granting access to administrative functions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by directly accessing administrative URLs or manipulating session tokens to gain unauthorized access to privileged features. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which describes improper authorization scenarios in software systems, and represents a classic example of insufficient access control validation. This flaw operates at the application layer, specifically targeting the web interface's security controls rather than underlying infrastructure components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the dotProject instance. Once exploited, attackers can modify user permissions, access confidential project data, alter system configurations, and potentially use the compromised system as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local system credentials to leverage the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application is exposed to untrusted networks. This weakness can lead to data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized modifications to project management data that could affect business operations and compliance requirements.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to dotProject version 2.1.2 or later, which contains the necessary access control fixes. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to administrative interfaces, while additional monitoring should be deployed to detect unauthorized access attempts. The remediation process should include thorough security testing to ensure that all access control points have been properly secured, and administrators should review user permissions to ensure that only authorized personnel maintain administrative access. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation and highlights the need for regular security assessments to identify and remediate authorization flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors.