CVE-2008-7066 in OpenForum
Summary
by MITRE
OpenForum 0.66 Beta allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and reset passwords of other users via a direct request with the update parameter set to 1 and modified user and password parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-7066 affects OpenForum version 0.66 Beta, a web-based discussion forum software that was widely used in enterprise environments for collaborative communication. This authentication bypass flaw represents a critical security weakness that allows remote attackers to manipulate the system's user management functions without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically resides in the application's handling of user account modifications, where direct parameter manipulation can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to user accounts and modify their credentials.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted HTTP request that directly targets the application's user update functionality. Attackers can bypass normal authentication mechanisms by constructing a request with the update parameter set to 1, combined with modified user and password parameters. This approach directly manipulates the application's internal logic flow, allowing unauthorized users to modify existing accounts without proper authentication or authorization. The flaw essentially eliminates the need for legitimate user credentials or session tokens when attempting to perform user account modifications, making it particularly dangerous for systems where administrative privileges are not properly enforced.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations using OpenForum 0.66 Beta as it allows attackers to assume the identity of other users or reset their passwords to gain persistent access to the system. The vulnerability could enable attackers to escalate privileges, access sensitive discussions, modify forum content, or potentially use compromised user accounts for further attacks within the network. Given that many organizations used such forum software for internal communications and collaboration, the potential for data breaches, information disclosure, and unauthorized access to confidential discussions becomes substantial. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers can leverage this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target network or system.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems, specifically targeting the lack of proper authorization checks during user account modification operations. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through legitimate credentials. The exploitability of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and access control implementation, where the application fails to properly verify that the requesting user has appropriate authorization to modify other users' accounts. Organizations should implement proper access control mechanisms, including role-based access controls, session management validation, and input parameter sanitization to prevent such direct parameter manipulation attacks. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on authentication flows and user management functions should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in legacy systems. The remediation approach should include implementing proper authentication checks for all user modification operations and ensuring that parameter validation prevents unauthorized access to administrative functions.