CVE-2016-4041 in Plone
Summary
by MITRE
Plone 4.0 through 5.1a1 does not have security declarations for Dexterity content-related WebDAV requests, which allows remote attackers to gain webdav access via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4041 affects Plone content management systems version 4.0 through 5.1a1, representing a significant security flaw in the WebDAV implementation that undermines the platform's access control mechanisms. This issue stems from the absence of proper security declarations for Dexterity content-related WebDAV requests, creating a pathway for unauthorized remote exploitation. The vulnerability exists within the core WebDAV functionality that allows clients to perform operations on remote servers, specifically targeting the Dexterity content types that are fundamental to Plone's content management capabilities.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing security layer in the WebDAV request processing pipeline, where the system fails to properly validate or authenticate requests that target Dexterity content objects. This omission allows attackers to bypass standard authorization checks that should normally prevent unauthorized access to content management operations. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because Dexterity content types are extensively used throughout Plone installations, making the attack surface broad and potentially devastating for organizations relying on the platform. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple attack paths could exploit this weakness, potentially including direct WebDAV protocol manipulation, proxy-based attacks, or other indirect methods that leverage the missing security declarations.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates a severe risk for Plone installations as it enables remote attackers to gain unauthorized WebDAV access to content management resources. Attackers could potentially perform operations such as creating, modifying, or deleting content through WebDAV protocols without proper authentication, leading to data integrity compromises, content tampering, and potential information disclosure. The impact extends beyond simple access violations as WebDAV operations often provide extensive control over server resources, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or establish persistent access points within the system. Organizations using affected Plone versions face the risk of complete content management system compromise, especially when the WebDAV functionality is enabled in production environments.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-4041 involves immediate patching of affected Plone installations to versions that properly implement security declarations for Dexterity content WebDAV requests. System administrators should also consider disabling WebDAV functionality if it is not essential for operations, as a temporary measure while applying permanent fixes. Security configurations should be reviewed to ensure proper access controls are enforced for all WebDAV operations, particularly those involving Dexterity content types. Organizations should implement network-level controls to restrict access to WebDAV endpoints and monitor for suspicious activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically addressing inadequate access control mechanisms for WebDAV operations, and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts for potential privilege escalation scenarios. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that security declarations are properly implemented without breaking existing functionality, particularly for legitimate WebDAV operations that require proper authorization.