CVE-2011-4679 in vtiger
Summary
by MITRE
vtiger CRM before 5.3.0 does not properly recognize the disabled status of a field in the Leads module, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions by reading a previously created report.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4679 affects vtiger CRM versions prior to 5.3.0 and represents a critical access control flaw within the Leads module. This issue stems from the application's improper handling of field-level security controls, specifically failing to correctly recognize when fields have been disabled within the Leads module. The flaw exists in the report generation and viewing functionality where the system does not adequately validate field access permissions, creating a pathway for unauthorized data exposure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the application logic level where field visibility and access controls are not properly enforced during report processing. When users create reports based on the Leads module, the system should respect the configured field-level security settings that may have disabled certain fields for specific user roles or profiles. However, the vulnerability allows authenticated users to bypass these restrictions and access data from previously disabled fields, effectively undermining the intended security boundaries.
This weakness directly impacts the principle of least privilege and data confidentiality within the vtiger CRM environment. The operational consequences are significant as malicious or unauthorized users with valid authentication credentials can extract sensitive information that should have been restricted based on field-level security configurations. The vulnerability enables data leakage through report generation mechanisms, potentially exposing personal identifiable information, business-sensitive data, or other confidential attributes that were deliberately hidden from certain user groups.
The flaw can be categorized under CWE-284 Access Control Bypass and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it leverages legitimate user credentials to exploit a weakness in access control enforcement rather than requiring account compromise. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires only authenticated access, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by insiders or users who have legitimate access rights but should not have access to specific data fields. Security controls that rely on field-level access restrictions become ineffective, undermining the overall security posture of the CRM system.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the vendor-provided patch for vtiger CRM version 5.3.0 or later, which properly enforces field-level access controls during report generation. Additionally, administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of field-level security configurations and review existing reports to ensure no unauthorized data exposure has occurred. Network segmentation and monitoring of report generation activities can provide additional layers of defense. The mitigation strategy should include regular security assessments of CRM access controls and implementation of principle of least privilege policies for field-level permissions.