CVE-2009-1767 in Template Monster Clone
Summary
by MITRE
admin/edituser.php in 2daybiz Template Monster Clone does not require administrative authentication, which allows remote attackers to modify arbitrary accounts via the (1) loginname, (2) password, (3) email, (4) firstname, or (5) lastname parameter.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1767 resides within the 2daybiz Template Monster Clone web application where the admin/edituser.php script fails to enforce proper administrative authentication mechanisms. This critical flaw represents a direct violation of access control principles and exposes sensitive user management functionality to unauthenticated remote attackers. The absence of authentication checks means that any malicious actor with knowledge of the application's structure can exploit this weakness to manipulate user account details without requiring legitimate administrative credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a fundamental failure in the application's authorization framework where the edituser.php endpoint does not validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges before processing modification requests. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by directly calling the endpoint with various parameters including loginname, password, email, firstname, and lastname, effectively allowing them to perform arbitrary modifications to user accounts. This represents a classic case of insufficient authentication controls and weak access management that directly maps to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple account modification capabilities. An attacker who successfully exploits this weakness can potentially escalate privileges, compromise user identities, and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The ability to modify login credentials, email addresses, and personal details creates multiple attack vectors for further exploitation including credential theft, account takeover, and social engineering attacks. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials usage and privilege escalation through unauthorized access to administrative functions.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning given that it affects a template-based web application that likely serves as a foundation for numerous websites. The widespread use of such templates means that exploitation could potentially impact multiple systems simultaneously, creating a cascading effect across various organizations. The vulnerability demonstrates poor security design practices where authentication checks are either absent or improperly implemented, representing a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture that violates basic security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement authentication checks for all administrative endpoints and conduct comprehensive security assessments of their web applications. The remediation approach must involve implementing proper session management, enforcing role-based access controls, and ensuring that all administrative functions require valid authentication tokens or credentials before execution. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities that could exist in other application components. This vulnerability serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of proper access control implementation and the severe consequences that can result from inadequate authentication mechanisms in web applications.