CVE-2009-4820 in Angelo-Emlak
Summary
by MITRE
Angelo-Emlak 1.0 stores sensitive information under the web root with insufficient access control, which allows remote attackers to download a database via a direct request for veribaze/angelo.mdb.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-4820 affects Angelo-Emlak version 1.0, a web application designed for real estate management. This flaw represents a critical misconfiguration that exposes sensitive data through improper access controls. The application stores its database fileangelo.mdb in a location accessible via the web root directory structure, creating an avenue for unauthorized data access. The database contains sensitive information related to real estate listings, customer data, and potentially financial records that would normally be protected from public access.
This vulnerability stems from inadequate security practices in the application's deployment configuration, specifically the improper placement of database files within the web-accessible directory structure. The flaw allows remote attackers to directly request the database file through a simple HTTP GET request targeting the path veribaze/angelo.mdb. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-275 as "Permission, Privilege, and Access Control" and represents a fundamental failure in implementing proper access restrictions. The application fails to enforce any authentication or authorization mechanisms when serving database files, making it trivial for attackers to obtain sensitive information without any credentials or privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Remote attackers can immediately download the entire database containing potentially thousands of real estate records, customer personal information, and business data. This exposure creates significant risks including identity theft, financial fraud, competitive intelligence gathering, and potential regulatory violations under data protection laws. The vulnerability affects not just the immediate data integrity but also the overall security posture of the organization using this application. The ease of exploitation means that even novice attackers can leverage this flaw without requiring advanced technical skills or specialized tools.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate exposure and underlying architectural issues. The most critical step involves moving the database file outside of the web root directory and implementing proper access controls through authentication mechanisms. The application should be configured to serve database files through secure backend processes rather than direct file serving. Security professionals should implement proper file access controls using the principle of least privilege, ensuring that only authorized processes can access sensitive data files. Additionally, regular security audits should verify that no sensitive files are stored in web-accessible locations, and automated scanning tools should be deployed to detect similar misconfigurations across the entire application infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and access logging to monitor for unauthorized attempts to access database files, aligning with the ATT&CK framework's defensive strategies for preventing data exposure through improper access control.