CVE-2017-1000145 in Mahara
Summary
by MITRE
Mahara 1.9 before 1.9.7 and 1.10 before 1.10.5 and 15.04 before 15.04.2 are vulnerable to anonymous comments being able to be placed on artefact detail pages even when the site administrator had disallowed anonymous comments.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2019
This vulnerability affects the Mahara learning management system version 1.9 before 1.9.7 and 1.10 before 1.10.5 and 15.04 before 15.04.2, specifically targeting the comment functionality on artefact detail pages. The flaw represents a critical access control bypass where anonymous users can submit comments to artefact pages despite explicit administrative settings that should prevent such activity. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and user authorization controls that should govern content submission on educational platforms.
The technical implementation flaw stems from improper validation of user authentication status during comment submission processes. When administrators disable anonymous comments through configuration settings, the system should enforce this restriction at the application level by verifying user authentication status before accepting comment submissions. However, the vulnerability allows malicious actors or unauthenticated users to circumvent this restriction through direct API calls or form manipulation, effectively bypassing the intended access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for educational institutions using Mahara, as it enables unauthorized users to post comments on artefact pages without proper authentication. This creates potential risks including spamming, malicious content injection, and disruption of academic content sharing. The vulnerability undermines the integrity of the platform's content management system and could be exploited to post inappropriate material, potentially damaging institutional reputation and creating compliance issues for educational organizations.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-602 Client Side Enforcement of Server Side Security, where server-side access controls are bypassed through client-side manipulation. The issue also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it allows unauthorized access to commenting functionality that should require proper authentication. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches, reviewing current access control configurations, and monitoring for unauthorized comment submissions. Additionally, administrators should verify that all comment-related functionality properly validates user authentication status and implements proper input sanitization to prevent potential exploitation through parameter manipulation or direct API access.