CVE-2014-8874 in Ke Questionnaire
Summary
by MITRE
The ke_questionnaire extension 2.5.2 and earlier for TYPO3 uses predictable names for the questionnaire answer forms, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a direct request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2018
The CVE-2014-8874 vulnerability resides within the ke_questionnaire extension version 2.5.2 and earlier for the TYPO3 content management system, representing a significant information disclosure weakness that directly impacts web application security. This flaw stems from the extension's predictable naming convention for questionnaire answer forms, which creates a systematic pattern that malicious actors can exploit to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. The vulnerability specifically affects the extension's handling of form identifiers and their corresponding data structures, where the predictable naming scheme eliminates the randomness typically required for secure form processing.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability operates through a fundamental flaw in the extension's form management system where form identifiers follow a deterministic sequence rather than utilizing cryptographically secure randomization. This predictable pattern allows attackers to construct direct HTTP requests targeting specific form endpoints based on the known naming convention. The vulnerability falls under CWE-200, which categorizes information exposure issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as it enables unauthorized data access through simple pattern recognition. Attackers can systematically enumerate through potential form identifiers to access questionnaire responses that should remain protected, creating an information leakage scenario that undermines the confidentiality of user-submitted data.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations utilizing TYPO3 with the affected ke_questionnaire extension, as it allows remote attackers to bypass normal access controls and directly retrieve questionnaire responses containing potentially sensitive personal information. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure to include potential privacy violations, regulatory compliance issues, and reputational damage when sensitive user data becomes accessible through predictable form paths. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform automated enumeration attacks against the extension's form processing endpoints, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the extension handles confidential surveys, user feedback, or application access forms. This weakness directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1213, which involves data from information repositories, and represents a clear path for attackers to escalate privileges through information gathering.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-8874 require immediate patching of the ke_questionnaire extension to version 2.5.3 or later, which implements proper randomization of form identifiers to prevent predictable naming patterns. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as rate limiting on form access endpoints, authentication checks for form submissions, and regular security auditing of third-party extensions. Network-level protections including web application firewalls and access control lists can provide additional defense in depth. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and secure random number generation in web applications, particularly when handling user-submitted data, and demonstrates the critical need for security testing of third-party components. Regular security assessments of TYPO3 installations should include verification of extension versions and implementation of security best practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced into production environments.