CVE-2014-2552 in Collected Information Export Extension
Summary
by MITRE
Brookins Consulting (BC) Collected Information Export extension for eZ Publish 1.1.0 does not properly restrict access, which allows remote attackers to gain access to sensitive data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2552 affects the Brookins Consulting Collected Information Export extension for eZ Publish version 1.1.0, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of web applications relying on this content management system. This issue stems from improper implementation of access restrictions within the extension's functionality, creating a pathway for unauthorized individuals to exploit the system and obtain sensitive information that should remain protected. The vulnerability specifically targets the export functionality that is designed to collect and process user data, yet fails to enforce proper authentication and authorization checks before granting access to the collected information.
The technical flaw manifests as a lack of adequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the extension's codebase, allowing remote attackers to bypass intended security measures through crafted requests or by directly accessing export endpoints without proper credentials. This weakness aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control vulnerabilities where systems fail to properly enforce access restrictions. The vulnerability essentially creates an information disclosure scenario where attackers can retrieve data that should only be accessible to authorized administrators or specific user groups. The extension's export functionality appears to lack proper session management and user privilege verification, enabling unauthorized access to collected user information, potentially including personal data, system logs, or other sensitive operational details.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can lead to significant privacy breaches and compliance violations for organizations using eZ Publish systems. Attackers exploiting this weakness can gain access to user credentials, personal information, system configurations, and potentially sensitive business data that has been collected through the extension's functionality. This vulnerability directly conflicts with fundamental security principles of least privilege and need-to-know access, as it allows unauthorized users to obtain information that should be restricted to legitimate administrators. The impact is particularly severe in environments where eZ Publish serves as a primary content management platform for organizations handling regulated data or personal information, as it creates potential vectors for data breaches, identity theft, and regulatory penalties under frameworks such as gdpr and hipaa.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches or updates that address the access control implementation in the extension, disabling the problematic export functionality if it is not essential for operations, and implementing network-level restrictions to limit access to the affected endpoints. Security measures should include enhanced monitoring of export-related system activities, implementation of proper authentication controls, and regular security assessments of third-party extensions. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of thorough security testing for integrated components and highlights the need for comprehensive access control validation across all application modules. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls, regular security audits of installed extensions, and maintaining updated security baselines that align with industry standards such as those defined in the mitre attack framework, particularly focusing on initial access and credential access techniques that leverage weak access control mechanisms.