CVE-2011-4627 in TYPO3
Summary
by MITRE
TYPO3 before 4.3.12, 4.4.x before 4.4.9, and 4.5.x before 4.5.4 allows Information Disclosure on the backend.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4627 represents a critical information disclosure flaw affecting TYPO3 content management systems across multiple version ranges. This vulnerability specifically impacts the backend functionality of TYPO3 installations, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these platforms for their digital infrastructure. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the TYPO3 core system, particularly in how it handles certain backend requests and responses. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to sensitive information that should remain protected within the system's administrative interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in TYPO3's backend processing logic where certain parameters passed to backend scripts are not properly validated or sanitized before being processed or displayed. This weakness allows malicious actors to manipulate input parameters in ways that reveal internal system information, configuration details, or other sensitive data that would normally be restricted to authorized administrators. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200, which specifically addresses improper output sanitization leading to information disclosure. This type of flaw falls within the broader category of security misconfigurations that can provide attackers with valuable intelligence for further exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-4627 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked data can provide attackers with critical insights into the target system's architecture, configuration settings, and potential attack vectors. This information can be leveraged to plan more sophisticated attacks, including privilege escalation attempts, credential harvesting, or targeted exploitation of other system weaknesses. The vulnerability affects multiple TYPO3 version lines, indicating a widespread issue that would impact numerous organizations simultaneously, making it particularly attractive to automated attack tools. Security researchers have documented that such information disclosure vulnerabilities often serve as initial footholds for more comprehensive system compromises, as the leaked data can reveal database connection strings, file paths, or other system details that facilitate deeper penetration attempts.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the available patches from TYPO3 4.3.12, 4.4.9, and 4.5.4 releases, which contain the necessary fixes for the information disclosure issue. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to monitor and block suspicious parameter manipulation attempts targeting backend endpoints. System administrators should also conduct thorough security audits to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred, examining access logs for unusual patterns or unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security updates and proper input validation practices, aligning with ATT&CK framework techniques that emphasize credential access and defense evasion through information gathering. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls for backend systems, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive administrative functions. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the potential consequences of delayed remediation efforts in enterprise environments.