CVE-2008-6804 in Tribiq
Summary
by MITRE
** DISPUTED ** Tribiq CMS 5.0.9a beta allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrative access by setting the COOKIE_LAST_ADMIN_USER and COOKIE_LAST_ADMIN_LANG cookies. NOTE: a third party reports that the vendor disputes the existence of this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-6804 relates to a critical authentication bypass flaw in Tribiq CMS version 5.0.9a beta. This issue represents a significant security weakness that could allow remote attackers to escalate privileges and gain full administrative control over the content management system without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanism by manipulating cookie values that are typically used to maintain user session state and track administrative activities within the CMS interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the manipulation of two specific cookies: COOKIE_LAST_ADMIN_USER and COOKIE_LAST_ADMIN_LANG. These cookies are designed to store information about the last administrator user and their preferred language settings within the CMS administration panel. However, the flaw allows attackers to directly set these cookie values to arbitrary data, effectively bypassing the normal authentication process. When an attacker sets these cookies to specific values, the system incorrectly validates the session and grants administrative privileges to the unauthorized user. This represents a classic case of insecure cookie handling and improper access control validation, where the application fails to properly verify the legitimacy of session identifiers before granting elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching within the context of content management systems. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can gain complete control over the CMS administration interface, allowing them to modify website content, add or remove users, change system configurations, and potentially exfiltrate sensitive data. The remote nature of the attack means that an attacker does not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in publicly accessible environments. This type of authentication bypass vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise and is classified under CWE-287 which deals with improper authentication issues. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through unauthorized access to administrative interfaces.
Security professionals should note that the vendor has disputed the existence of this specific issue, which creates uncertainty about the actual validity of the reported vulnerability. This vendor dispute highlights the importance of thorough verification and independent assessment of security reports. Organizations using Tribiq CMS 5.0.9a beta should conduct their own security assessment to determine if they are vulnerable to similar cookie manipulation attacks, regardless of the vendor's stance. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and secure session management practices in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions. Organizations should implement additional security controls such as secure cookie attributes, proper session validation, and regular security audits to prevent similar issues from occurring in their systems. The lack of vendor confirmation also underscores the need for organizations to maintain their own security assessment practices and not rely solely on vendor declarations regarding security issues.