CVE-2009-1587 in PHP Site Lock
Summary
by MITRE
index.php in PHP Site Lock 2.0 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and obtain administrative access by setting the login_id, group_id, login_name, user_id, and user_type cookies to certain values.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-1587 affects PHP Site Lock 2.0, a web application designed to provide authentication and access control for websites. This issue represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that directly compromises the security posture of systems relying on this software. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of authentication cookies within the index.php script, which processes user login and session management operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating specific cookie values to gain unauthorized administrative privileges without legitimate credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of five critical cookie parameters including login_id, group_id, login_name, user_id, and user_type. These cookies are typically used to maintain user session state and authorization levels within the application. When an attacker sets these cookies to predetermined values, the application fails to properly validate the authentication state and instead accepts the manipulated cookie values as legitimate. This represents a classic case of insecure direct object reference vulnerability where the application directly trusts user-supplied cookie data without proper validation or sanitization. The flaw aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization in authentication mechanisms, and specifically demonstrates how cookie manipulation can circumvent access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations using PHP Site Lock 2.0. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains full administrative access to the protected website, enabling them to modify content, add or remove users, access sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised system as a launching point for further attacks. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no prior authentication credentials or complex attack vectors - simply setting specific cookie values allows immediate administrative access. This type of vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including cross-site scripting attacks, session hijacking, or by tricking users into clicking malicious links that set the appropriate cookie values. The attack pattern aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under credential access and privilege escalation tactics, where attackers leverage application vulnerabilities to obtain elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the affected PHP Site Lock 2.0 software to properly validate cookie values and implement robust authentication mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that all cookie values are validated server-side against legitimate user data and that session management follows secure coding practices. The solution involves implementing proper input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied data, including cookies, and ensuring that authentication state cannot be manipulated through simple cookie manipulation. Additional protective measures include implementing secure cookie attributes such as HttpOnly and Secure flags, regular security audits of web applications, and monitoring for suspicious cookie usage patterns. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. The fix should address the root cause by ensuring that cookie values are properly validated against legitimate user sessions rather than accepting them at face value, thereby preventing the bypass of authentication mechanisms that this vulnerability enables.