CVE-2012-5299 in Guestbook
Summary
by MITRE
Mavili Guestbook, as released in November 2007, allows remote attackers to edit, delete, and approve arbitrary messages via direct a request to (1) edit.asp, (2) delete.asp, or (3) approve.asp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2019
The CVE-2012-5299 vulnerability affects Mavili Guestbook version released in November 2007, representing a critical access control flaw that permits unauthorized remote exploitation. This vulnerability resides in the web application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, specifically within the guestbook management interfaces. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate the application's core functionalities without proper authentication by directly accessing specific ASP pages. The affected endpoints include edit.asp, delete.asp, and approve.asp, which are designed for administrative message management but lack proper user verification controls.
This vulnerability constitutes a classic authorization bypass issue that aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems. The technical implementation flaw stems from insufficient input validation and authentication checks within the application's backend processing logic. Attackers can exploit this weakness by directly crafting HTTP requests to the vulnerable ASP files, bypassing normal user interface controls and authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability exists because the application does not properly verify user credentials or roles before executing administrative operations on guestbook entries. This type of flaw falls under the ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers Valid Accounts and T1566 which involves Phishing with a focus on credential theft and unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with complete control over the guestbook content management system. Remote attackers can arbitrarily edit existing messages to inject malicious content, delete legitimate entries to disrupt service availability, or approve spam content to compromise the application's integrity. This vulnerability directly affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability aspects of the information system, making it a critical concern for any organization relying on this legacy application. The flaw enables persistent malicious activities that can go undetected for extended periods, potentially leading to reputation damage and user trust erosion.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching or upgrading of the affected Mavili Guestbook application to a version that implements proper authentication controls. Organizations should implement web application firewalls to monitor and filter direct access attempts to sensitive ASP files, while also enforcing strong authentication mechanisms for all administrative functions. The solution involves implementing role-based access control where only authorized administrators can access the edit, delete, and approve functionalities. Additionally, input validation should be strengthened to prevent parameter tampering, and all applications should undergo regular security assessments to identify similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts to sensitive application endpoints, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in web applications.