CVE-2009-1780 in Frax.dk Php Recommend
Summary
by MITRE
admin.php in Frax.dk Php Recommend 1.3 and earlier does not require authentication when the user password is changed, which allows remote attackers to gain administrative privileges via modified form_admin_user and form_admin_pass parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1780 resides within the admin.php component of Frax.dk Php Recommend version 1.3 and earlier, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that fundamentally undermines the application's security model. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly validate user credentials before executing administrative operations, creating a pathway for unauthenticated remote attackers to escalate their privileges and assume full administrative control over the affected system. The vulnerability specifically manifests when attackers manipulate the form_admin_user and form_admin_pass parameters, which are intended to modify user account details and passwords within the administrative interface.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and authentication checks within the administrative workflow. When the admin.php script processes requests containing modified form parameters, it fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses legitimate administrative privileges before executing the password change operation. This represents a fundamental failure in the application's access control mechanism and aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software applications. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to bypass the normal authentication flow by directly submitting administrative parameters without proper credential verification, creating a direct attack vector for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to completely compromise the administrative functionality of the web application. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can modify user accounts, change passwords for administrative users, potentially gain access to sensitive data, and perform other malicious activities within the administrative interface. This type of vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through legitimate administrative interfaces. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for web applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper authentication checks and input validation within the administrative components of the application. Organizations should immediately upgrade to a patched version of Frax.dk Php Recommend that properly validates user credentials before executing administrative operations. The fix should enforce strict authentication requirements for all administrative functions, ensuring that any modification to user accounts or passwords requires proper verification of administrative privileges. Additionally, implementing proper parameter validation and sanitization can help prevent attackers from manipulating form parameters to bypass security controls. Security monitoring should also be enhanced to detect unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts, and regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack.