CVE-2014-3838 in ownCloud
Summary
by MITRE
ownCloud Server before 5.0.16 and 6.0.x before 6.0.3 does not properly check permissions, which allows remote authenticated users to read the names of files of other users by leveraging access to multiple accounts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3838 represents a critical permission enforcement flaw within ownCloud Server versions prior to 5.0.16 and 6.0.3. This issue stems from insufficient access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions when accessing file systems. The vulnerability specifically affects the file sharing and access control components of the ownCloud platform, creating a scenario where authenticated users can exploit their access to multiple accounts to enumerate file names belonging to other users within the same system.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's failure to implement proper cross-user access controls during file enumeration operations. When users with legitimate access to multiple accounts interact with the system, the permission checking mechanisms do not adequately verify whether the requesting user has appropriate authorization to access files owned by other users. This weakness allows attackers to leverage their legitimate account access to perform unauthorized file name discovery across different user accounts, effectively creating a directory traversal-like vulnerability within the file sharing system.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the confidentiality and integrity of user data within the ownCloud environment. Remote authenticated attackers can systematically discover file names and potentially infer the nature of content stored by other users, leading to information disclosure risks that could be exploited for further attacks. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on ownCloud for collaborative file sharing, as it undermines the fundamental security assumption that users cannot access files belonging to other users without explicit permission. This issue aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1005 for data from local system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3838 require immediate patching of affected ownCloud server installations to versions 5.0.16 or 6.0.3, which contain the necessary permission checking enhancements. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of file access patterns to detect anomalous enumeration activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and strict access control policies should be enforced to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of user account permissions and file sharing configurations to ensure that proper access controls are maintained. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining robust access control mechanisms in collaborative environments where multiple users interact with shared file systems, and highlights the necessity of regular security updates and vulnerability assessments in enterprise file sharing solutions.