CVE-2011-4941 in Piwik
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Piwik 1.2 through 1.4 allows remote attackers with the view permission to execute arbitrary code via unknown attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4941 represents a critical security flaw within the Piwik analytics platform, specifically affecting versions 1.2 through 1.4. This vulnerability resides within the core application architecture and presents a significant risk to organizations relying on Piwik for web analytics and user behavior tracking. The flaw manifests as an unspecified vulnerability that allows remote attackers who possess view permissions to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code on the affected system. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of privilege escalation and remote code execution, which are among the most severe threats in web application security.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the Piwik application. Attackers with minimal permissions can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized code execution capabilities, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways may exist for exploitation, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as defenders cannot easily predict or patch specific attack surfaces. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and CWE-79, concerning cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that can be leveraged for code execution. The attack surface likely involves user input handling within the analytics dashboard or reporting components where view permissions are insufficiently enforced.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes organizations to severe risks including data breaches, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within network environments. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to install backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive analytics data, or use the compromised system as a staging ground for further attacks. The impact extends beyond immediate system compromise as Piwik installations often contain valuable user behavior data, demographic information, and potentially sensitive business intelligence that could be exploited for financial gain or competitive advantage. Organizations may also face regulatory compliance issues and reputational damage if such vulnerabilities result in data exposure or service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-4941 must prioritize immediate version upgrades to Piwik 1.5 or later, which contain the necessary security patches addressing this vulnerability. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to Piwik installations, particularly limiting administrative access to trusted networks only. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the analytics infrastructure. Implementing web application firewalls and input validation controls can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically addressing remote code execution vulnerabilities and ensure that all users maintain current software versions to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 for command and script injection, highlighting the need for robust input validation and privilege separation measures.