CVE-2014-0158 in Open Web Analytics
Summary
by MITRE
Open Web Analytics (OWA) before 1.5.7 allows remote attackers to conduct PHP object injection attacks via a crafted serialized object in the owa_event parameter to queue.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2020
Open Web Analytics version 1.5.7 and earlier contains a critical vulnerability that enables remote attackers to perform PHP object injection attacks through maliciously crafted serialized objects. This vulnerability specifically affects the owa_event parameter within the queue.php script, creating a dangerous attack surface that can be exploited without authentication. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle serialized PHP objects, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary objects that can be deserialized by the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied input before processing serialized data. When the owa_event parameter is passed to queue.php, the application does not adequately verify the contents of the serialized object, enabling an attacker to craft malicious payloads that can be executed during the deserialization process. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-502 which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to execute arbitrary code or manipulate application behavior. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows for remote code execution, potentially enabling attackers to gain full control over the affected system.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0158 extends far beyond simple data manipulation, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands on the server, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, or the establishment of persistent backdoors. The attack vector requires minimal privileges and can be executed through standard web browser interactions, making it highly accessible to threat actors. Organizations running affected versions of Open Web Analytics face significant risk of unauthorized access to their analytics data and potential system compromise, as the vulnerability can be exploited by anyone with access to the web application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate remediation through software updates to version 1.5.7 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization measures. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls to detect and block malicious serialized object payloads. Additionally, security best practices including input validation, output encoding, and principle of least privilege should be enforced to minimize potential impact. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which covers exploitation for privilege escalation, and T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter usage. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar deserialization vulnerabilities in other applications, as this pattern of weakness is commonly found in web applications that improperly handle serialized data. Organizations should also consider implementing proper logging and monitoring to detect suspicious deserialization activities that may indicate exploitation attempts.