CVE-2011-1950 in plone
Summary
by MITRE
plone.app.users in Plone 4.0 and 4.1 allows remote authenticated users to modify the properties of arbitrary accounts via unspecified vectors, as exploited in the wild in June 2011.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1950 represents a critical authorization flaw within the plone.app.users component of the Plone content management system. This issue affects versions 4.0 and 4.1, where authenticated users can exploit unspecified vectors to manipulate account properties of other users within the system. The vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild during June 2011, demonstrating its real-world impact and the urgency of addressing such authorization bypass conditions. The flaw essentially allows attackers to perform unauthorized modifications to user accounts, potentially leading to privilege escalation, account takeover, or other malicious activities that compromise the integrity of user data within the Plone environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and insufficient access control mechanisms within the user management functionality of Plone's plone.app.users package. When authenticated users submit requests to modify user properties, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user has legitimate authorization to modify the target account. This authorization bypass occurs through unspecified vectors that likely involve manipulation of user identifiers or access control parameters during the account modification process. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely, requiring only authenticated access to the system, which makes it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by insiders or compromised legitimate users.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1950 extends beyond simple account modification, as it enables attackers to potentially gain elevated privileges within the Plone system. An attacker could modify user roles, reset passwords, alter permissions, or manipulate user metadata to establish persistent access or disrupt system operations. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can result in complete compromise of user accounts, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive content, administrative functions, or other system resources. The exploitation of this vulnerability in June 2011 demonstrates how quickly such authorization flaws can be weaponized in real-world attacks, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on Plone 4.0 and 4.1 systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Plone 4.2 or later, which contain the necessary fixes for the authorization bypass. Additionally, administrators should review and strengthen access control policies, implement proper input validation for user management operations, and consider network segmentation to limit the potential impact of compromised accounts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1531 for credential stuffing or account manipulation. Regular security audits of user management components and monitoring for unauthorized account modifications should be implemented as part of comprehensive security controls to prevent exploitation of similar authorization flaws in the future.