CVE-2010-4629 in MyBB
Summary
by MITRE
MyBB (aka MyBulletinBoard) before 1.4.12 does not properly restrict uid values for group join requests, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) by using guest access to submit join request forms for moderated groups, related to usercp.php and managegroup.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4629 affects MyBulletinBoard versions prior to 1.4.12 and represents a critical security flaw in the group membership management functionality. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the bulletin board system's user management components. The vulnerability specifically targets the uid parameter handling during group join request processes, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's resource allocation mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the usercp.php and managegroup.php scripts where group membership requests are processed. When users submit join requests for moderated groups, the system fails to properly validate the uid values, allowing unauthorized users to manipulate the request parameters. This improper validation enables attackers to submit requests using guest accounts or invalid user identifiers, which causes the system to allocate resources unnecessarily for processing these malformed requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests as a denial of service condition that consumes system resources without legitimate justification. Attackers can repeatedly submit join requests for moderated groups using guest access or invalid uid values, causing the system to process these requests and consume memory, CPU cycles, and database resources. This resource exhaustion can lead to system instability, degraded performance, and potentially complete service unavailability for legitimate users attempting to join groups or perform other system functions.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, "Improper Input Validation," and demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-352, "Cross-Site Request Forgery," though it primarily functions as a resource exhaustion attack. From an attacker's perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, "Resource Hijacking," where adversaries consume system resources to disrupt services. The vulnerability also reflects poor access control implementation as outlined in CWE-285, where insufficient validation of user permissions allows unauthorized actions.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation for uid parameters in both usercp.php and managegroup.php scripts. The system must validate that submitted user identifiers correspond to actual registered users before processing join requests. Additionally, access controls should be strengthened to ensure that guest users cannot submit join requests for moderated groups without proper authentication. Implementing rate limiting mechanisms and request validation checks will help prevent abuse of this functionality. System administrators should also consider implementing proper logging and monitoring to detect unusual patterns of join requests that may indicate exploitation attempts. The most effective remediation involves upgrading to MyBulletinBoard version 1.4.12 or later, where these validation flaws have been addressed through proper input sanitization and access control enforcement.