CVE-2008-7045 in Free Polling Script
Summary
by MITRE
AJ Square Free Polling Script (AJPoll) Database version allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and reset poll votes via a direct request to admin/resetvote.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2024
The CVE-2008-7045 vulnerability affects the AJ Square Free Polling Script (AJPoll) database version, presenting a critical authentication bypass flaw that enables remote attackers to manipulate poll voting systems. This vulnerability resides in the administrative functionality of the polling script, specifically within the admin/resetvote.php component which handles vote reset operations. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and authentication checks within the administrative interface, allowing unauthorized users to directly access privileged functions without proper credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits weak access controls and improper session management within the AJPoll application. Attackers can construct direct HTTP requests to the admin/resetvote.php endpoint without authenticating to the system, thereby gaining unauthorized access to administrative functions. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and represents a classic case of insufficient access control mechanisms. The vulnerability essentially allows an attacker to bypass the normal authentication flow that should occur before granting access to administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to completely manipulate polling results by resetting votes for specific poll options. This creates a potential for vote manipulation, election fraud, and complete compromise of polling integrity within systems using the affected AJPoll version. The vulnerability affects not only the confidentiality of the polling data but also its integrity and availability, as attackers can alter the fundamental outcome of polls. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.001, which covers abuse of privileged communication channels, and T1078.004, concerning valid accounts used for lateral movement and privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper authentication controls and input validation within the affected application. System administrators should ensure that all administrative endpoints require proper authentication before execution, implementing robust session management protocols and access control checks. The application should enforce proper authorization checks at every administrative function call, verifying user credentials and privileges before allowing access to sensitive operations. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict direct access to administrative endpoints from untrusted networks. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities, particularly focusing on hardcoded administrative paths and weak access control implementations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top 10, specifically addressing authentication and session management weaknesses that can lead to privilege escalation attacks.