CVE-2011-5204 in WebBoard
Summary
by MITRE
Akiva WebBoard 8.x stores passwords in plaintext, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by reading from the database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-5204 affects Akiva WebBoard version 8.x and represents a critical security flaw in password storage practices. This issue stems from the application's improper handling of authentication credentials, where passwords are stored in plaintext format within the database rather than being properly hashed or encrypted. The vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles and creates a significant risk for systems that rely on this web board platform for content management and user authentication. The flaw enables local attackers who have access to the database files or can execute code on the system to immediately extract user credentials without any additional cryptographic challenges. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it eliminates the need for complex attack vectors or exploitation techniques, making it accessible to attackers with minimal technical expertise.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a clear failure in secure credential management practices, which aligns with CWE-259, which addresses the storage of passwords in a reversible format. The vulnerability operates at the data persistence layer where authentication information is written to and read from the database. When users create accounts or update their credentials within the Akiva WebBoard system, the plaintext passwords are directly stored in the database without any form of cryptographic processing or salting mechanisms. This design flaw creates an immediate and complete compromise of all user accounts when an attacker gains access to the database, as they can simply read the password fields to obtain valid credentials for authentication purposes. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because it affects all users of the system, regardless of their privilege levels, and provides attackers with unrestricted access to the entire user base.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple credential theft, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of any organization using this web board platform. Local users with database access can exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, potentially leading to data breaches, content manipulation, and privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat that remains active as long as the plaintext passwords exist in the database, making it particularly concerning for long-running systems. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including credential access through database dumping and privilege escalation through credential reuse. The lack of proper password hashing mechanisms means that even if an organization implements other security controls, the presence of plaintext credentials in the database effectively neutralizes these protections. This vulnerability also creates compliance issues for organizations that must adhere to data protection regulations such as gdpr or hipaa, as the exposure of plaintext passwords constitutes a direct violation of data handling requirements.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention and comprehensive remediation efforts. The primary solution involves implementing proper password hashing mechanisms using industry-standard algorithms such as bcrypt, scrypt, or pbkdf2, which are designed to make password recovery computationally expensive and practically infeasible. Organizations should also implement database access controls to limit local access to the database files and ensure that only authorized personnel have the ability to read or modify the credential storage. Additional security measures include regular database audits, implementation of intrusion detection systems, and monitoring for unauthorized database access attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the owasp top 10 and nist cybersecurity framework, which emphasize the critical need for proper credential management and data protection. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication as an additional layer of protection, even when addressing the core vulnerability. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and systems, as this flaw represents a common security oversight that affects many legacy applications. The remediation process must include not only updating the application code to implement proper password storage but also retroactively hashing existing passwords in the database to ensure that previously stored credentials are protected.