CVE-2012-5918 in razorCMS
Summary
by MITRE
razorCMS 1.2 allows remote authenticated users to access administrator directories and files by creating and deleting a directory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5918 affects razorCMS version 1.2 and represents a significant access control flaw that allows authenticated users to bypass administrative restrictions. This issue stems from improper directory handling mechanisms within the content management system where users can manipulate directory structures to gain unauthorized access to administrative resources. The vulnerability specifically manifests when authenticated users leverage directory creation and deletion operations to traverse administrative pathways that should remain restricted to authorized administrators only.
The technical flaw resides in the application's insufficient input validation and access control enforcement mechanisms. When users create or delete directories within the razorCMS framework, the system fails to properly verify whether these operations should be permitted based on user roles and privileges. This weakness creates a path traversal condition where legitimate authenticated users can exploit the directory manipulation functionality to access directories and files that contain administrative configurations, user management interfaces, and other sensitive resources typically restricted to system administrators. The vulnerability operates through a privilege escalation vector that leverages the legitimate administrative functions of the system rather than exploiting external attack surfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with potential pathways to escalate their privileges and compromise the entire system. An authenticated user who exploits this vulnerability can access administrative panels, modify content, manage user accounts, and potentially execute further attacks against the system or its underlying infrastructure. This access can lead to complete system compromise, data breaches, and unauthorized modifications to website content or configurations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only authentication to exploit, meaning that any user with valid credentials can potentially access administrative resources without requiring additional privileges or specialized attack techniques.
Security professionals should address this vulnerability through immediate patching of the razorCMS application to version 1.2.1 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for directory access control. System administrators should implement additional monitoring to detect unusual directory creation or deletion activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-285 Improper Authorization, representing a combination of directory manipulation and access control failures. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to the privilege escalation techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1068, which covers local privilege escalation, and T1566, which addresses credential access through exploitation of vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement role-based access controls and regularly audit directory permissions to prevent similar issues in other applications and ensure that all directory manipulation functions properly validate user privileges before executing administrative operations.