CVE-2014-1637 in ommand School Student Management System
Summary
by MITRE
Command School Student Management System 1.06.01 does not properly restrict access to sw/backup/backup_ray2.php, which allows remote attackers to download a database backup via a direct request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2025
The Command School Student Management System version 1.06.01 contains a critical access control vulnerability that exposes sensitive database backup files to unauthorized remote attackers. This vulnerability resides in the software's handling of the sw/backup/backup_ray2.php endpoint, which lacks proper authentication and authorization checks. The flaw represents a classic case of insufficient access control where the system fails to verify whether incoming requests originate from legitimate administrative users or unauthorized external parties.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, specifically addressing improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to access protected resources. The issue stems from the application's failure to implement proper session validation or user authentication checks before serving database backup files. Attackers can exploit this by directly requesting the backup_ray2.php endpoint without any authentication, thereby gaining access to sensitive student data and system configurations that are typically protected within a properly secured environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Remote attackers can directly download complete database backups containing personal student information, academic records, and potentially sensitive administrative data. This exposure creates significant risk for educational institutions as it violates data privacy regulations and could lead to identity theft, academic fraud, or targeted attacks against students and staff. The vulnerability enables attackers to bypass normal application security controls and directly access backend database files, representing a critical escalation from standard web application attacks to full database compromise.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the attack pattern catalog under the category of direct object reference attacks where adversaries can access files or resources by manipulating object references in URLs or API endpoints. The attack requires minimal skill and effort, as it involves only direct HTTP requests to the vulnerable endpoint. This makes it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by automated scanning tools or less sophisticated attackers who lack advanced exploitation capabilities. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for further attacks, as database backups often contain database credentials, application configuration files, or other sensitive information that could be used for additional compromise attempts.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including access control restrictions on backup directories, proper authentication enforcement for all database-related endpoints, and network-level restrictions to limit access to administrative functions. The recommended solution involves configuring proper authentication checks before allowing access to backup files, implementing directory access controls, and ensuring that backup files are stored outside of web-accessible directories. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security reviews of all application endpoints to identify similar access control weaknesses and establish proper logging mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of principle of least privilege in web application security and highlights the necessity of validating all user requests against proper authentication and authorization checks before granting access to sensitive system resources.