CVE-2011-3700 in Advanced Electron Forum
Summary
by MITRE
Advanced Electron Forum (AEF) 1.0.8 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a direct request to a .php file, which reveals the installation path in an error message, as demonstrated by languages/english/deletetopic_lang.php.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/22/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3700 affects Advanced Electron Forum version 1.0.8, a web-based discussion platform that falls under the category of forum software applications. This security flaw represents a classic information disclosure vulnerability that exposes sensitive system details to remote attackers without requiring authentication or privileged access. The vulnerability manifests when users make direct requests to specific php files within the application's directory structure, particularly targeting language files such as languages/english/deletetopic_lang.php. The exploitation technique leverages the application's error handling mechanisms to reveal the full server path where the forum is installed, which constitutes sensitive information that could aid further attack vectors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate error message handling within the application's codebase. When a direct request is made to a php file that contains errors or is accessed improperly, the system generates an error message that inadvertently includes the complete file path on the server where the application is installed. This occurs because the application does not properly sanitize error outputs or implement proper exception handling to prevent the exposure of internal system information. The vulnerability is classified as a path disclosure issue, which is categorized under CWE-209 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, specifically addressing the improper handling of error conditions that lead to information exposure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical system information that can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. The revealed installation path can be used to understand the server's directory structure, potentially enabling attackers to craft more targeted attacks against other components of the system or to identify specific vulnerabilities in the server configuration. This information disclosure vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1083 discovery tactic, where adversaries gather information about the target system's file system structure. The exposure of the installation path could facilitate path traversal attacks, directory listing exploits, or other vulnerabilities that depend on knowledge of the server's file structure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper error handling mechanisms within the application codebase. The most effective approach involves configuring the web application to suppress detailed error messages that contain system path information, instead displaying generic error pages to users. Developers should implement custom error handling routines that log detailed errors internally while presenting sanitized messages to end users. Additionally, the application should be configured to disable the display of PHP error messages in production environments by setting appropriate php.ini configurations such as error_reporting and display_errors directives. Security hardening measures should include regular code reviews to identify and remediate similar error handling issues throughout the application, as well as implementing proper input validation and access controls to prevent unauthorized direct access to sensitive php files. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious direct file access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.