CVE-2011-4068 in PacketFence
Summary
by MITRE
The check_password function in html/admin/login.php in PacketFence before 3.0.2 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication via an empty password.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4068 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in PacketFence version 3.0.1 and earlier, affecting the html/admin/login.php component. This issue stems from insufficient input validation within the check_password function, which fails to properly handle empty password values during the authentication process. The flaw enables remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions by simply submitting an empty password parameter, effectively circumventing the intended security controls.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication mechanisms, and falls under the broader category of weak authentication and session management issues. The technical implementation flaw occurs in the password validation logic where the system does not adequately verify that a non-empty password has been provided before proceeding with authentication checks. The absence of proper input sanitization and validation creates an exploitable condition that allows attackers to bypass authentication entirely.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to network security infrastructure as PacketFence serves as a network access control system that typically manages user authentication and authorization for network resources. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain full administrative access to the PacketFence system, potentially leading to complete network compromise. The remote nature of the attack means that an attacker does not require physical access or local network presence to exploit this flaw, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network access control is critical for security operations.
The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as this vulnerability could enable attackers to modify network policies, disable security controls, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. Organizations relying on PacketFence for network access control would face significant operational risks, including potential data breaches, unauthorized network modifications, and complete compromise of their network security posture. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise, making it attractive to a wide range of threat actors from script kiddies to sophisticated adversaries.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to PacketFence version 3.0.2 or later, which includes proper input validation and authentication checks. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, enforce strong access controls, and monitor authentication attempts for suspicious patterns. Additional defensive measures include implementing multi-factor authentication, restricting administrative access to trusted IP addresses, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the network infrastructure. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and authentication mechanisms in security-critical applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting through authentication bypass methods.