CVE-2015-1173 in Polska TETA Web
Summary
by MITRE
Unit4 Polska TETA Web (formerly TETA Galactica) 22.62.3.4 does not properly restrict access to the (1) Design Mode and (2) Debug Logger mode modules, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges via crafted "received parameters."
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1173 affects Unit4 Polska TETA Web version 22.62.3.4, formerly known as TETA Galactica, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of this business application. This issue manifests through improper access restrictions for two distinct administrative modules within the software ecosystem, specifically the Design Mode and Debug Logger mode components. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and authorization checks that fail to properly verify user credentials and privileges before granting access to sensitive administrative functions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially designed HTTP parameters that bypass the intended access controls, effectively allowing unauthorized remote access to privileged system functionalities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize user input parameters that control access to administrative modules. When legitimate users attempt to access the Design Mode or Debug Logger functionality, the system should verify their authorization level and role-based permissions before granting access. However, the flawed implementation allows attackers to manipulate request parameters in such a way that the system incorrectly grants administrative privileges to unauthenticated or unauthorized users. This represents a classic authorization bypass vulnerability that falls under the CWE-285 category of improper authorization, where the system fails to properly enforce access control policies for privileged operations. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage this weakness from outside the network perimeter without requiring local system access or prior authentication credentials.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1173 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential system compromise and data exposure. Once attackers gain access to the Design Mode functionality, they can modify application interfaces and potentially introduce malicious code or alter system configurations that affect application behavior. Access to the Debug Logger mode provides attackers with detailed system information and potentially sensitive debugging output that could reveal internal system architecture, data structures, or security implementation details. This information disclosure aspect of the vulnerability can facilitate further exploitation attempts and increases the attack surface for the targeted system. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers can potentially leverage this vulnerability from any location with internet connectivity, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that do not adequately monitor or restrict external access to their application servers.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations to address the access control weakness. The primary remediation involves strengthening input validation and authorization checks for all administrative modules, ensuring that proper authentication and privilege verification occurs before granting access to sensitive functions. This includes implementing proper session management, enforcing role-based access controls, and validating all user parameters against predefined security policies. Security professionals should also consider implementing network-level controls such as firewall rules that restrict access to administrative ports and functions to trusted IP addresses only. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as attackers can leverage this weakness to gain elevated privileges without detection. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their application configurations and implement regular vulnerability scanning to identify similar access control weaknesses in other systems and applications.