CVE-2010-1136 in TikiWiki
Summary
by MITRE
The Standard Remember method in TikiWiki CMS/Groupware 3.x before 3.5 allows remote attackers to bypass access restrictions related to "persistent login," probably due to the generation of predictable cookies based on the IP address and User agent in userslib.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1136 resides within TikiWiki CMS/Groupware version 3.x prior to 3.5, specifically affecting the Standard Remember method implementation. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the persistent login mechanism that governs how user sessions are maintained across browser sessions. The vulnerability stems from the predictable cookie generation algorithm that relies on deterministic factors including IP address and user agent strings, creating a scenario where malicious actors can potentially predict and reuse valid session tokens to gain unauthorized access to user accounts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic cryptographic weakness in session management where the cookie generation process fails to incorporate sufficient entropy or randomization elements. The system generates cookies based on static attributes such as IP address and user agent information, which are inherently predictable and easily obtainable by attackers. This approach violates fundamental security principles for session token generation and aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in the generation of random numbers and tokens. The predictable nature of these cookies creates a significant attack surface where an adversary can construct valid session identifiers without requiring authentication credentials.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to bypass access restrictions that should normally protect user accounts and system resources. The ability to predict and reuse persistent login cookies means that unauthorized individuals can assume legitimate user identities and potentially access sensitive data, modify content, or perform administrative functions within the TikiWiki environment. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential access through social engineering and session hijacking methods. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it can lead to complete system compromise when combined with other attack vectors, particularly in environments where TikiWiki serves as a primary content management platform.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal technical expertise since attackers only need to observe or determine the IP address and user agent information of target users to construct valid cookies. This makes the attack surface particularly broad and dangerous in environments where multiple users access the system from predictable network locations. Organizations using affected TikiWiki versions face significant risk of data breaches, content tampering, and unauthorized administrative access. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor adherence to security best practices regarding session management and token generation, as proper implementation should utilize cryptographically secure random number generators and include sufficient entropy to prevent prediction attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-1136 require immediate patching of TikiWiki installations to version 3.5 or later, where the cookie generation mechanism has been properly enhanced with cryptographic randomization. Organizations should also implement additional security controls including session timeout mechanisms, IP address monitoring, and user agent validation to detect anomalous access patterns. Network-level controls such as intrusion detection systems can help identify suspicious cookie usage patterns, while application-level monitoring should track unusual session activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patched version properly implements secure session management practices and that all existing cookies are invalidated to prevent continued exploitation of the vulnerability.