CVE-2017-11681 in Hashtopussy
Summary
by MITRE
Incorrect Access Control vulnerability in Hashtopussy 0.4.0 allows remote authenticated users to execute actions that should only be available for administrative roles, as demonstrated by an action=createVoucher request to agents.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2022
The CVE-2017-11681 vulnerability represents a critical access control flaw in Hashtopussy version 0.4.0 that undermines the application's security model by permitting authenticated users to perform administrative operations without proper authorization. This vulnerability specifically affects the agents.php endpoint where the createVoucher action can be invoked by users who should not possess such privileges. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's privilege enforcement mechanisms, where the system fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative credentials before executing sensitive operations.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-285 access control weakness category, specifically manifesting as improper authorization within a web application context. The issue stems from insufficient validation of user roles and permissions during request processing, allowing any authenticated user to escalate their privileges through crafted API calls. The attack vector involves a remote authenticated user who can send a specially crafted action=createVoucher request to the agents.php endpoint, bypassing the intended administrative access controls. This misconfiguration creates a pathway for privilege escalation that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 legitimate credentials, where adversaries leverage existing user accounts to perform unauthorized actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to create vouchers that could potentially be used for financial gain or system compromise. The affected application likely handles sensitive operations such as voucher generation, which could lead to unauthorized resource allocation or monetary loss. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers do not require physical access to the system and can exploit it from anywhere on the network. This flaw represents a significant security gap that violates the principle of least privilege, where users should only have access to resources necessary for their specific role within the system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-11681 should focus on implementing robust access control measures including proper role-based access control (RBAC) enforcement, input validation, and comprehensive authorization checks. Organizations should ensure that all administrative endpoints perform strict user role verification before executing sensitive operations. The fix involves implementing proper authentication and authorization controls within the agents.php script, ensuring that only users with administrative privileges can access the createVoucher functionality. Additionally, implementing proper logging and monitoring of administrative actions can help detect unauthorized access attempts. Security patches should address the root cause by enforcing mandatory access controls and ensuring that privilege checks occur before any sensitive operations are performed, aligning with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001 standards for access control management.