CVE-2016-10533 in express-restify-mongoose
Summary
by MITRE
express-restify-mongoose is a module to easily create a flexible REST interface for mongoose models. express-restify-mongoose 2.4.2 and earlier and 3.0.X through 3.0.1 allows a malicious user to send a request for `GET /User?distinct=password` and get all the passwords for all the users in the database, despite the field being set to private. This can be used for other private data if the malicious user knew what was set as private for specific routes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10533 affects the express-restify-mongoose module, a popular tool for creating RESTful APIs from mongoose models in Node.js applications. This module serves as a bridge between MongoDB databases and web applications, providing automated CRUD operations through REST interfaces. The flaw exists in versions 2.4.2 and earlier, as well as 3.0.0 through 3.0.1, representing a significant security gap in data access control mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of query parameters that allow unauthorized access to private fields within database records.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the module's handling of the distinct query parameter in REST requests. When a malicious user sends a GET request to /User?distinct=password, the module fails to properly validate or restrict access to private fields as defined in the model schema. This occurs because the distinct operation bypasses the normal field-level access controls that should prevent unauthorized retrieval of private data. The vulnerability specifically targets the distinction between public and private fields in the mongoose model definitions, where private fields are typically marked with the schema option to prevent exposure in API responses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables unauthorized data extraction at scale. An attacker can leverage this flaw to obtain sensitive information such as passwords, personal identification numbers, or any other private data fields that should remain protected. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates silently without requiring special privileges or complex attack vectors, making it easily exploitable by threat actors with basic knowledge of the REST API structure. The scope extends beyond just passwords to include any private field that has been explicitly marked as such within the application's data models, potentially exposing comprehensive user datasets.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses improper exposure of sensitive information, and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege in information security. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this corresponds to techniques related to credential access and data extraction, specifically leveraging API endpoints to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical flaw in the module's security architecture where field-level access controls are bypassed through query parameter manipulation, creating a path for information disclosure attacks that could compromise entire user databases and their associated sensitive information.
Organizations utilizing this module should immediately upgrade to version 3.0.2 or later where the vulnerability has been patched. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing additional access controls at the application level, including proper field-level authorization checks and input validation for query parameters. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of all REST API endpoints to identify similar vulnerabilities in other modules and ensure that private fields are properly protected regardless of the query method used. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of data access that might indicate exploitation attempts, and regular security assessments should be performed to validate that data access controls function as intended.