CVE-2008-6951 in MauryCMS
Summary
by MITRE
MauryCMS 0.53.2 and earlier does not require administrative authentication for Editors/fckeditor/editor/filemanager/browser/default/browser.html, which allows remote attackers to upload arbitrary files via a direct request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6951 affects MauryCMS versions 0.53.2 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw in the content management system's file upload functionality. This issue stems from inadequate authentication mechanisms within the file manager component, specifically the FCKeditor file browser interface. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass administrative access controls and directly upload files to the server through a well-known path that exposes the file manager interface without requiring proper authentication credentials.
The technical flaw resides in the absence of proper access control validation within the browser.html file located at editors/fckeditor/editor/filemanager/browser/default/browser.html. This component serves as the user interface for managing files within the CMS, yet it fails to implement mandatory authentication checks before permitting file upload operations. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-285, which deals with insufficient authorization mechanisms, and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege in information security. Attackers can exploit this weakness by directly accessing the vulnerable URL path and executing file upload operations without presenting valid administrative credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching within the affected CMS environment. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to upload malicious files such as web shells, backdoors, or other harmful content that can compromise the entire server infrastructure. Once successful, attackers gain persistent access to the compromised system, potentially leading to complete server takeover, data exfiltration, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability enables attackers to establish a foothold within the network without requiring legitimate administrative credentials, making detection and attribution significantly more challenging. This weakness essentially provides an open door for malicious actors to escalate their privileges and maintain long-term access to the compromised system.
Organizations using affected versions of MauryCMS should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to a patched version of the CMS, implementing proper authentication controls, and restricting access to the vulnerable file manager paths. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to limit access to administrative interfaces, while regular security audits should be conducted to identify and remediate similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it represents a classic example of exploiting a publicly accessible application component with insufficient access controls. Additionally, this vulnerability aligns with T1078 - Valid Accounts, as attackers can leverage the lack of proper authentication to gain unauthorized access to system resources. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious file upload activities and prevent exploitation attempts.