CVE-2011-2151 in SmarterStats
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) Admin/frmEmailReportSettings.aspx, (2) Admin/frmGeneralSettings.aspx, (3) Admin/frmSite.aspx, (4) Client/frmUser.aspx, and (5) Login.aspx components in the SmarterTools SmarterStats 6.0 web server accept cleartext passwords, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by sniffing the network.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2151 affects the SmarterTools SmarterStats 6.0 web server application, specifically targeting several administrative and user-facing components including Admin/frmEmailReportSettings.aspx, Admin/frmGeneralSettings.aspx, Admin/frmSite.aspx, Client/frmUser.aspx, and Login.aspx. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's authentication and data transmission mechanisms, creating significant risks for organizations relying on this web server platform. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement secure password transmission protocols, instead transmitting passwords in cleartext format across network connections.
This technical flaw directly violates fundamental security principles and best practices for network communication security, particularly concerning the handling of sensitive authentication credentials. The cleartext transmission of passwords exposes these credentials to interception during network transmission, making the system vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks and network sniffing operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by capturing network traffic passing between clients and the web server, extracting password information without requiring additional exploitation techniques. The vulnerability affects multiple components within the application, indicating a systemic issue in how the application handles authentication data rather than isolated component failures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions and user accounts. Once an attacker successfully intercepts cleartext passwords through network sniffing, they can authenticate as legitimate users or administrators, potentially gaining full control over the web server and its associated data. This compromise can lead to data breaches, system infiltration, unauthorized modifications to web content, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the vulnerable application resides. The widespread nature of affected components suggests that attackers could gain access to various system functionalities through a single interception event.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-319 (Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information), which specifically address the insecure handling of sensitive data in transmission and storage contexts. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1046 (Network Service Scanning) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers may use network sniffing to obtain credentials that can then be used for further attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network encryption through ssl/tls protocols, network segmentation to limit exposure, and monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns. The most effective remediation involves configuring the application to enforce encrypted communication channels for all authentication and administrative functions, ensuring that passwords and other sensitive data are never transmitted in cleartext format.