CVE-2009-2233 in Gallery Search Engine
Summary
by MITRE
The admin interface in AWScripts.com Gallery Search Engine 1.5 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrative access by setting the awse_logged cookie to 1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2233 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in the admin interface of AWScripts.com Gallery Search Engine version 1.5. This issue stems from improper session management and authentication validation mechanisms within the web application. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to escalate their privileges without requiring valid credentials, effectively granting them full administrative control over the affected system. The flaw specifically manifests through manipulation of the awse_logged cookie parameter, which should normally be validated through proper authentication checks but instead serves as a direct access control mechanism.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insecure direct object reference combined with weak session handling practices. When an attacker sets the awse_logged cookie value to 1, the application incorrectly assumes this indicates a legitimate administrative session without performing the necessary authentication verification steps. This cookie-based authentication bypass directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's access control model. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely, making it particularly dangerous as it does not require physical access or local network presence to exploit.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected web application and its underlying data. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains complete administrative control over the gallery search engine, enabling them to modify or delete content, alter user permissions, inject malicious code, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network. The impact extends beyond immediate data compromise as the attacker can manipulate the application's functionality, potentially disrupting legitimate user access and service availability. This vulnerability also represents a significant risk to the organization's reputation and compliance requirements, particularly in environments where data protection regulations are paramount.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper authentication mechanisms and session management controls. Organizations should immediately patch the affected software to the latest version provided by AWScripts.com or implement a temporary workaround by disabling the vulnerable cookie-based authentication method. The application should enforce proper authentication checks before granting administrative privileges, regardless of cookie values. Additionally, implementing input validation and sanitization for all cookie parameters, along with regular security audits of authentication mechanisms, would help prevent similar issues. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a technique commonly referenced in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation tactics where adversaries exploit weak authentication controls to gain elevated access rights. Security teams should also implement monitoring for suspicious cookie manipulation patterns and establish proper access control logging to detect potential exploitation attempts.