CVE-2016-10700 in Cacti
Summary
by MITRE
auth_login.php in Cacti before 1.0.0 allows remote authenticated users who use web authentication to bypass intended access restrictions by logging in as a user not in the cacti database, because the guest user is not considered. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-2313.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2016-10700 affects Cacti versions prior to 1.0.0 and represents a significant authorization bypass flaw in the web authentication system. This issue specifically targets the auth_login.php component which handles user authentication processes within the Cacti monitoring platform. The vulnerability stems from an incomplete remediation of a previous security issue, CVE-2016-2313, which demonstrates how security fixes can sometimes introduce new weaknesses when not thoroughly tested or implemented. The flaw allows authenticated users who utilize web authentication to exploit a logical error in the access control mechanism by creating sessions as users that do not exist in the Cacti database.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of guest user accounts within the authentication flow. When users attempt to log in through the web interface, the system fails to properly validate whether the requested user account exists in the database before granting access. This creates a scenario where an attacker can manipulate the authentication process to gain access using non-existent user credentials, effectively bypassing the intended access restrictions. The vulnerability operates under the principle of privilege escalation through improper access control validation, which aligns with CWE-285, specifically addressing issues related to insufficient authorization checks in authentication systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows remote authenticated users to circumvent the intended security boundaries of the Cacti monitoring system. An attacker who can authenticate to the system, even with legitimate credentials, can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to resources that should be restricted to specific user accounts. This creates a potential pathway for data exfiltration, system compromise, or unauthorized modifications to network monitoring configurations. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on Cacti for network infrastructure monitoring, as it undermines the trust model that should protect sensitive network data and monitoring capabilities.
This security weakness directly relates to the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation tactics, specifically leveraging authentication bypass techniques to gain access to restricted system resources. The vulnerability also aligns with the broader category of access control flaws that are commonly exploited in enterprise environments. Organizations using Cacti should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of the official patch for version 1.0.0 or later, which properly addresses the guest user handling logic. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation, monitoring authentication logs for unusual patterns, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications to identify similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities in other systems. The incomplete fix for CVE-2016-2313 demonstrates the importance of comprehensive security testing and validation when implementing patches to prevent regression vulnerabilities that can create new attack vectors.