CVE-2011-4030 in CMFEditions
Summary
by MITRE
The CMFEditions component 2.x in Plone 4.0.x through 4.0.9, 4.1, and 4.2 through 4.2a2 does not prevent the KwAsAttributes classes from being publishable, which allows remote attackers to access sub-objects via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-3587.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4030 affects the CMFEditions component within the Plone content management system across multiple versions including 4.0.x through 4.0.9, 4.1, and 4.2 through 4.2a2. This security flaw represents a significant access control issue that stems from improper object publication handling within the system's architecture. The vulnerability specifically concerns the KwAsAttributes classes which are not adequately restricted from being published, creating an unintended pathway for unauthorized access to system resources.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper enforcement of publication restrictions within the CMFEditions component. When KwAsAttributes classes are not properly constrained from becoming publishable objects, they can be accessed through unspecified vectors that bypass normal access controls. This flaw creates a scenario where remote attackers can exploit the system's object publication mechanism to gain access to sub-objects that should otherwise remain restricted. The vulnerability operates at the object-level access control boundary, where the system fails to properly validate whether certain class instances should be publicly accessible.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to access sensitive sub-objects within the Plone system without proper authentication or authorization. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that attackers can leverage various attack paths to reach these unintended publishable objects, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it may be exploitable through multiple methods. This access could potentially lead to information disclosure, unauthorized data access, or further exploitation of other system components that depend on proper access controls.
The vulnerability maps to CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically representing a weakness where improper access control allows unauthorized users to access objects that should remain restricted. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 Data from Information Repositories, where adversaries attempt to access data stored in information repositories. The flaw also relates to privilege escalation patterns found in ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as attackers may leverage this vulnerability to gain access to objects that require elevated privileges to access normally. Organizations using affected Plone versions should prioritize patching this vulnerability to prevent unauthorized access to system resources.
Mitigation strategies should focus on updating to patched versions of Plone that address this publication restriction issue. System administrators should also implement network-level restrictions to limit access to Plone installations where possible. Regular security audits of object publication settings and access controls should be conducted to ensure that no unintended publishable objects exist within the system. Additionally, monitoring for unusual access patterns to content objects can help detect exploitation attempts of this vulnerability. The patch for this vulnerability would typically involve implementing stricter access control checks within the CMFEditions component to prevent KwAsAttributes classes from being marked as publishable objects without proper authorization.