CVE-2013-4197 in Plone
Summary
by MITRE
member_portrait.py in Plone 2.1 through 4.1, 4.2.x through 4.2.5, and 4.3.x through 4.3.1 allows remote authenticated users to modify or delete portraits of other users via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4197 affects the Plone content management system across multiple versions including 2.1 through 4.1, 4.2.x through 4.2.5, and 4.3.x through 4.3.1. This security flaw resides in the member_portrait.py module which handles user profile portraits within the Plone framework. The vulnerability represents a significant authorization bypass issue that undermines the fundamental security model of the platform by allowing authenticated users to manipulate user data belonging to other individuals within the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the member portrait management functionality. Specifically, the system fails to properly validate user permissions when processing portrait modification or deletion requests. This flaw enables authenticated attackers to exploit unspecified vectors that bypass normal access controls, allowing them to modify or delete portraits of users other than themselves. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the user management level where sensitive profile information resides, potentially enabling broader social engineering attacks or identity manipulation within the platform.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations relying on Plone for content management and user collaboration. An authenticated attacker could use this flaw to remove or alter profile images of colleagues, competitors, or other users within the system, potentially causing confusion, undermining trust in the platform, or facilitating more sophisticated attacks such as impersonation attempts. The impact extends beyond simple data modification as it can serve as a stepping stone for further exploitation or as a means to disrupt user experience and organizational communication channels. This vulnerability particularly affects collaborative environments where user profiles are integral to platform functionality and user identification.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the privilege escalation and data manipulation categories within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the techniques related to privilege escalation and persistence through user account manipulation. Organizations should immediately implement the recommended security patches for Plone versions affected by this vulnerability, as well as conduct thorough security assessments of their user management systems to identify similar authorization flaws. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and access control checks for all user profile modification operations would provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities in the future.