CVE-2008-6919 in TaskDriver
Summary
by MITRE
profileedit.php TaskDriver 1.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrative access by setting the auth cookie to "fook!admin."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6919 affects TaskDriver version 1.3 and earlier, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that compromises the security posture of the affected system. This issue stems from improper validation of authentication tokens within the profileedit.php component, which fails to adequately verify the legitimacy of user credentials before granting administrative privileges. The flaw specifically manifests when an attacker manipulates the auth cookie value to "fook!admin" which inadvertently grants full administrative access to the system. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's access control mechanisms. The security implications extend beyond simple unauthorized access as this flaw enables attackers to perform administrative operations including but not limited to user management, system configuration changes, data manipulation, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues in software applications, specifically focusing on authentication bypass through manipulation of authentication tokens.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a predictable authentication cookie manipulation technique where attackers can directly set the auth cookie value to a specific string that bypasses normal authentication procedures. This occurs because the application does not properly validate or sanitize the authentication cookie value before processing it, creating a path for unauthorized administrative access. The flaw represents a classic case of insecure direct object reference combined with weak authentication mechanisms, where the system accepts the manipulated cookie value without proper verification of the user's credentials or session legitimacy. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring any prior authentication or session information, making it particularly dangerous as it allows attackers to gain administrative control from external network positions. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials for persistence and privilege escalation within target environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-6919 is severe and multifaceted, potentially enabling complete system compromise and data breaches. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can execute arbitrary commands as an administrator, modify or delete critical system files, access sensitive user data, and establish persistent backdoors within the network. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to escalate privileges further and conduct reconnaissance activities to identify additional targets within the network infrastructure. Organizations using affected versions of TaskDriver face significant risk of data theft, system corruption, and potential regulatory compliance violations. The ease of exploitation makes this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors who may use it as a stepping stone for more extensive attacks, potentially leading to broader security incidents across multiple systems within the organization's network.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-6919 should focus on immediate remediation through software updates and patches provided by the vendor, as well as implementing additional security controls to reduce the attack surface. Organizations should ensure they are running TaskDriver version 1.4 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper authentication token validation. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of vulnerable systems, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect suspicious authentication cookie values and anomalous administrative access patterns. Security administrators should also implement proper input validation and sanitization measures, including the use of secure session management techniques that prevent direct manipulation of authentication tokens. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and systems within the organization's infrastructure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing proper authentication frameworks that follow security best practices including secure session management, proper input validation, and robust access control mechanisms that prevent manipulation of authentication tokens. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and other defensive measures to detect and block attempts to manipulate authentication cookies in real-time.