CVE-2012-1565 in ez Publish
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in ez Publish 4.1.4, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6 has unknown impact and attack vectors related to an insecure direct object reference.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1565 affects multiple versions of ez Publish content management system including 4.1.4, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6. This represents a critical security flaw categorized under insecure direct object reference which falls under the CWE-639 category of weakness in web applications. The vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of object references that should be protected by access controls, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to resources that should be restricted.
The technical flaw manifests when ez Publish applications fail to properly validate user access rights before allowing direct references to objects such as files, database records, or system resources. This insecure direct object reference vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate object identifiers in the application's URL parameters, form fields, or API calls to access resources they should not be authorized to view or modify. The vulnerability exists because the system relies on direct object references without implementing proper authorization checks, making it susceptible to manipulation by attackers who can guess or enumerate object identifiers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it can potentially allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive content, user data, or system resources within the ez Publish environment. An attacker could leverage this weakness to access private documents, user accounts, or administrative functions that should be protected by proper access controls. The vulnerability affects all versions mentioned in the CVE, indicating a widespread issue that would require patching across multiple application releases. This creates a substantial risk for organizations using ez Publish who may be exposed to data breaches or unauthorized system access.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including thorough code reviews to identify all direct object references and ensure proper access control validation is implemented for each reference. The fix should involve implementing proper authorization checks before allowing access to any resource identified by a direct object reference. Security teams should also consider implementing input validation, parameterized queries, and proper session management to prevent manipulation of object identifiers. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and unauthorized access to resources, making it a critical concern for defensive security operations. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other applications within the organization's attack surface.