CVE-2009-3168 in Basic-php-events-lister
Summary
by MITRE
Mevin Productions Basic PHP Events Lister 2.0 does not properly restrict access to (1) admin/reset.php and (2) admin/user_add.php, which allows remote authenticated users to reset administrative passwords or add administrators via a direct request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-3168 affects Mevin Productions Basic PHP Events Lister version 2.0, a web-based event management system that suffers from improper access control mechanisms within its administrative interface. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the fundamental security posture of the application by allowing authenticated users to perform administrative actions without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically impacts two administrative scripts: admin/reset.php and admin/user_add.php, which are designed to handle sensitive administrative functions but fail to implement adequate access validation. The flaw exists in the application's privilege escalation mechanism, where the system does not properly verify whether the requesting user possesses sufficient administrative privileges before executing sensitive operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control checks within the application's authentication framework. When authenticated users make direct requests to the vulnerable endpoints, the application fails to perform proper session validation or role-based access control verification. This allows any authenticated user, regardless of their privilege level, to manipulate the application's administrative functions through simple HTTP requests. The vulnerability operates under the principle of insufficient authorization checks, which is categorized under CWE-285 in the Common Weakness Enumeration taxonomy, specifically addressing issues related to improper authorization within web applications. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor path for privilege escalation that bypasses the normal authentication flow and administrative access controls.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations using the affected software, as it enables authenticated attackers to gain administrative control over the event management system. An attacker who has obtained legitimate user credentials can exploit this vulnerability to reset administrator passwords or add new administrator accounts, effectively compromising the entire system. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it allows for persistent access and potential data manipulation or exfiltration. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers legitimate credentials and the use of administrative privileges for unauthorized access. The consequences include potential data breaches, unauthorized modifications to event listings, and the ability to establish persistent backdoors within the application infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper access control mechanisms within the affected application. The primary solution involves implementing robust session validation and role-based access control checks for all administrative endpoints, ensuring that only users with appropriate administrative privileges can access sensitive functions. Organizations should also implement input validation and request parameter checking to prevent direct access to administrative scripts. Additionally, the application should enforce proper authentication state verification before executing any administrative operations, including checking user roles and permissions against a centralized access control list. Security hardening measures should include logging all administrative actions and implementing account lockout mechanisms to prevent brute force attacks. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of following secure coding practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies, particularly for web applications handling sensitive data and administrative functions.