CVE-2010-4215 in Foswiki
Summary
by MITRE
UI/Manage.pm in Foswiki 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges by modifying the GROUP and ALLOWTOPICCHANGE preferences in the topic preferences for Main.AdminGroup.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4215 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Foswiki web-based collaboration platform. This security weakness exists in versions 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 of the software, specifically within the UI/Manage.pm component that handles user interface management functions. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms that allow authenticated users to manipulate system preferences through topic-specific configuration settings.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of GROUP and ALLOWTOPICCHANGE preferences within the Main.AdminGroup topic preferences. When authenticated users modify these specific preference parameters, they can effectively elevate their privileges within the Foswiki environment. This flaw constitutes a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate authorization controls within the application's preference management system. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-264 category of Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls, specifically addressing issues related to insufficient access control checks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to gain administrative capabilities within the Foswiki environment. Once exploited, authenticated users can modify system-wide settings, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability particularly affects collaborative environments where multiple users have access to the platform, as it allows for unauthorized privilege elevation without requiring additional authentication factors. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages existing authenticated sessions, making it difficult to detect and mitigate through traditional network-based security measures.
Organizations utilizing affected Foswiki versions face significant security risks, as this vulnerability can be exploited by malicious insiders or compromised user accounts. The flaw enables attackers to bypass normal access controls and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive system configurations, user data, and administrative functions. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, particularly those involving configuration modifications and access control bypass. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input sanitization and access control validation within web applications, as outlined in OWASP Top Ten security practices.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4215 require immediate patching of affected Foswiki installations to versions that address the privilege escalation vulnerability. Organizations should also implement additional security controls including regular access reviews, monitoring of preference changes, and implementation of automated alerting for suspicious configuration modifications. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege enforcement can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other collaborative platforms and web applications within their environment.