CVE-2015-7685 in GLPI
Summary
by MITRE
GLPI before 0.85.3 allows remote authenticated users to create super-admin accounts by leveraging permissions to create a user and the _profiles_id parameter to front/user.form.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-7685 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the GLPI (Gestionnaire Libre de Parc Informatique) IT asset management system. This issue affects versions prior to 0.85.3 and allows remote authenticated attackers to gain super-administrator privileges through a carefully crafted manipulation of user creation permissions. The vulnerability specifically exploits the lack of proper input validation and access control mechanisms within the user management interface, creating a path for attackers to elevate their privileges without requiring administrative credentials.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the front/user.form.php endpoint where attackers can leverage their ability to create new user accounts in combination with manipulation of the _profiles_id parameter. This parameter controls user profile assignments within the GLPI system, and when improperly validated, allows attackers to assign themselves elevated privileges during user creation. The flaw stems from insufficient authorization checks that should validate whether the authenticated user has the necessary permissions to assign administrative profiles to new accounts. This represents a classic case of insecure direct object reference vulnerability where the system fails to properly verify that the requesting user can legitimately assign the requested profile level.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the GLPI system and all associated data. Once successfully exploited, the attacker gains access to sensitive information including user credentials, system configurations, network topology details, and potentially access to connected systems through the integrated IT asset management functions. This privilege escalation allows for data exfiltration, system modification, and the ability to create additional backdoors or persistent access mechanisms. The vulnerability affects organizations relying on GLPI for IT asset management, potentially exposing critical infrastructure information to unauthorized parties.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to GLPI version 0.85.3 or later where this vulnerability has been patched. The fix typically involves implementing proper input validation for the _profiles_id parameter and enforcing stricter authorization checks during user creation processes. Security administrators should also review existing user permissions and audit access controls to ensure that only authorized administrators can assign elevated privileges. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and monitoring for unusual user creation patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1484 (Abuse Elevation of Privilege) within the enterprise attack framework, highlighting the need for comprehensive access control measures and privilege management policies.
The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in web applications. It underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices such as principle of least privilege, input sanitization, and comprehensive authorization checking. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their IT asset management systems and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to address similar vulnerabilities. The incident also emphasizes the need for robust monitoring and logging of administrative activities to detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts.