CVE-2008-6790 in Photo Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
The admin module in MindDezign Photo Gallery 2.2 allows remote attackers to add administrative users and gain privileges via a modified username parameter in an edit account action to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6790 resides within the admin module of MindDezign Photo Gallery version 2.2, representing a critical authorization bypass flaw that enables remote attackers to escalate their privileges. This weakness stems from insufficient input validation and improper access control mechanisms within the application's account management functionality, specifically during the edit account action process. The vulnerability manifests when an attacker manipulates the username parameter in the index.php script, allowing them to bypass normal authentication procedures and create administrative user accounts with elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insecure direct object reference and inadequate parameter sanitization. When the application processes the edit account request, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the username parameter, permitting malicious input that can be interpreted as a legitimate administrative command. This flaw directly maps to CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization, and CWE-20, which covers improper input validation. The vulnerability exists due to the application's reliance on client-side validation without proper server-side verification, creating an attack surface where remote adversaries can manipulate session parameters and gain unauthorized administrative access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to system integrity and data confidentiality, as it allows attackers to establish persistent administrative accounts without requiring legitimate credentials. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as the newly created administrative users can access sensitive system functions including user management, configuration changes, and potential data exfiltration. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to modify or delete user accounts, alter system settings, and potentially establish backdoors for continued unauthorized access. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or knowledge of valid credentials, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in internet-facing applications.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation, proper access control enforcement, and secure session management practices. Organizations should immediately apply patches or updates provided by the vendor to address the authorization bypass flaw. Additionally, implementing proper parameter sanitization, enforcing strict input validation on all user-supplied data, and establishing comprehensive access control mechanisms are essential defensive measures. The solution aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1548 which addresses abuse of privileges. Network segmentation and monitoring for unusual administrative account creation activities should also be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and penetration testing can help identify similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's infrastructure.