CVE-2012-4954 in Forums
Summary
by MITRE
The edit-profile page in Vanilla Forums before 2.1a32 allows remote authenticated users to modify arbitrary profile settings by replacing the UserID value during a man-in-the-middle attack, related to a "parameter manipulation" issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4954 affects Vanilla Forums versions prior to 2.1a32 and represents a critical authorization bypass flaw that enables authenticated attackers to manipulate user profile data through parameter manipulation techniques. This issue specifically targets the edit-profile functionality within the forum platform, creating a scenario where malicious actors can exploit the lack of proper input validation and authorization checks to modify user accounts that they do not own. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate the UserID parameter during profile modification requests, allowing attackers to substitute their own user identifier for another user's account during transmission.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability relies on the absence of robust parameter validation mechanisms within the Vanilla Forums application architecture. When users access the edit-profile page, the system should verify that the authenticated user has the proper authorization to modify the specified profile data. However, the flawed implementation accepts the UserID parameter directly from the client-side request without performing adequate validation against the currently authenticated session. This creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where an attacker can intercept the profile modification request and replace the UserID value with that of another user, effectively gaining unauthorized access to modify arbitrary user profiles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple profile manipulation as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's access control mechanisms. Attackers can potentially exploit this flaw to escalate privileges, access sensitive user information, or even assume the identity of other users within the forum environment. This authorization bypass vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to widespread compromise of user data within the forum ecosystem. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal skill to exploit and can be executed through standard network interception techniques that are readily available to threat actors.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts, as attackers can leverage legitimate user credentials to perform unauthorized actions. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate session management controls that are commonly exploited in web application attacks. Organizations using affected versions of Vanilla Forums face significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to user accounts, as the flaw allows attackers to modify profile settings including email addresses, personal information, and potentially access control permissions. The mitigation strategy involves implementing proper parameter validation, enforcing strict authorization checks, and ensuring that all user profile modification requests are validated against the authenticated session context.
The remediation for this vulnerability requires immediate patching of Vanilla Forums installations to version 2.1a32 or later, which includes proper input validation and authorization verification mechanisms. Additionally, organizations should implement network monitoring to detect unusual parameter manipulation patterns and ensure that all profile modification requests undergo rigorous validation against the authenticated user session. Security configurations should enforce strict access controls and implement proper logging mechanisms to track profile modification activities. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and authorization checks in web applications, particularly in platforms that handle user-generated content and personal information. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities in their application environments and implement robust security controls to prevent such issues from occurring in the future.