CVE-2016-0872 in WebDatorCentral
Summary
by MITRE
A Plaintext Storage of a Password issue was discovered in Kabona AB WebDatorCentral (WDC) versions prior to Version 3.4.0. WDC stores password credentials in plaintext.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0872 represents a critical weakness in the Kabona AB WebDatorCentral (WDC) software ecosystem where password credentials are stored in plaintext format rather than being properly encrypted or hashed. This fundamental flaw exists in WDC versions prior to 3.4.0 and directly violates established security best practices for credential management. The issue falls under the category of insecure data storage and specifically aligns with CWE-312, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper storage mechanisms. This vulnerability creates a significant attack surface for malicious actors who gain access to the system's storage mechanisms, as they can immediately retrieve user authentication credentials without requiring additional cracking or exploitation techniques.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a failure in proper credential handling within the WebDatorCentral application. When users enter their passwords for system access, the software stores these credentials in an unencrypted format within its database or configuration files. This approach completely undermines the security of the authentication system, as any individual with access to the application's data storage can trivially extract password information. The plaintext storage method eliminates any form of cryptographic protection, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where system access is not strictly controlled. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor for attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and gain immediate access to user accounts without the need for complex exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables attackers to perform lateral movement and persistent access within compromised networks. Once an attacker obtains plaintext passwords through this vulnerability, they can potentially access multiple systems if users employ the same credentials across different platforms, creating a cascading security failure. This weakness directly supports techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the credential access and privilege escalation domains, where attackers can leverage stolen credentials to maintain persistence and expand their access within target environments. The vulnerability's impact is amplified in enterprise settings where WebDatorCentral might be used for managing critical infrastructure, as compromised credentials can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data repositories.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to WebDatorCentral version 3.4.0 or later, which addresses the plaintext storage issue through proper credential encryption mechanisms. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive credential audits to identify any compromised accounts and enforce strong password policies including regular rotation. The remediation process should also include reviewing system access controls and implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of credential compromise. Security teams should deploy monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing credential exposure scenarios. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of following security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines, which emphasize the necessity of protecting sensitive data through proper encryption and access control mechanisms.