CVE-2012-5454 in AContent
Summary
by MITRE
user/index_inline_editor_submit.php in ATutor AContent 1.2-1 does not properly restrict access, which allows remote authenticated users to modify arbitrary user passwords via a crafted request. NOTE: this might be due to an incomplete fix for CVE-2012-5168.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5454 affects ATutor AContent version 1.2-1 and resides within the user/index_inline_editor_submit.php component. This represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of the application by allowing authenticated users to exploit a weakness in the permission validation mechanism. The vulnerability specifically enables remote authenticated attackers to manipulate user credentials without proper authorization, creating a significant risk for system integrity and user data protection. The flaw manifests through a crafted HTTP request that bypasses normal access restrictions, potentially allowing malicious users to assume control over other user accounts or modify their authentication credentials.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-285 category of Improper Authorization, which specifically addresses situations where applications fail to properly verify that an authenticated user has sufficient privileges to perform a requested operation. The technical implementation flaw occurs in the inline editor submission handler where input validation and access control checks are insufficient to prevent unauthorized modifications. The vulnerability's nature suggests a regression or incomplete remediation of a previous issue, as indicated by the note referencing CVE-2012-5168, which implies that the original fix for a similar access control problem was either inadequate or improperly implemented. This pattern of incomplete fixes is common in security patches and represents a particularly dangerous scenario where organizations may believe they have addressed a vulnerability when the underlying issue remains exploitable.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft to encompass potential account takeover scenarios and privilege escalation within the ATutor environment. An authenticated attacker could leverage this flaw to modify passwords for other users, effectively gaining persistent access to their accounts and potentially accessing sensitive course materials, personal information, or administrative functions depending on the target user's role within the system. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from any location with network access to the vulnerable application, eliminating the need for physical presence or local network access. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and could enable attackers to move laterally within the system, potentially compromising additional user accounts or accessing restricted content within the learning management system.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including thorough access control reviews, enhanced input validation, and comprehensive testing of authentication mechanisms. The recommended approach involves implementing proper authorization checks at the application level to ensure that users can only modify data they are authorized to access, which aligns with the principle of least privilege and defense in depth strategies. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar access control flaws in other components of the application. Additionally, the incident highlights the importance of proper code review processes and regression testing when implementing security patches, as incomplete fixes can leave systems vulnerable to exploitation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation and credential access techniques, emphasizing the need for layered security controls and monitoring of unusual authentication-related activities. System administrators should also consider implementing additional logging and monitoring around user account modifications to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish forensic capabilities for incident response activities.