CVE-2017-15210 in Kanboard
Summary
by MITRE
In Kanboard before 1.0.47, by altering form data, an authenticated user can see thumbnails of pictures from a private project of another user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2017-15210 represents a critical access control flaw in Kanboard versions prior to 1.0.47 that allows authenticated users to bypass project privacy restrictions and access thumbnail images from private projects belonging to other users. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and authorization checks within the application's file handling mechanisms, specifically affecting the thumbnail generation and retrieval functionality. The flaw enables privilege escalation through form data manipulation, where an attacker can alter request parameters to gain unauthorized access to sensitive visual content that should remain restricted to project members only.
This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and manifests as a lack of proper authorization checks when processing user requests for thumbnail images. The technical implementation fails to validate whether the requesting user has legitimate access rights to the target project before serving thumbnail content, creating a path for authenticated users to exploit the system's trust model. The flaw operates at the application layer where form data is processed without adequate verification of user permissions or project ownership, allowing for arbitrary parameter manipulation that can be leveraged to access private content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy violations, as it represents a significant breach in the application's security model that could expose sensitive project imagery to unauthorized parties. Attackers could potentially access confidential visual documentation, design assets, or other proprietary content that was intended to remain within the confines of specific project groups. This access could lead to competitive intelligence theft, intellectual property exposure, or the compromise of sensitive project information that may contain personal data or business-critical visual assets. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality aspects of the CIA triad, undermining the trust model that users place in private project spaces.
Organizations using affected versions of Kanboard should immediately implement the patch released in version 1.0.47 which addresses the authorization bypass through proper input validation and access control enforcement. System administrators should conduct thorough security assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement monitoring for suspicious access patterns. The mitigation strategy should include enforcing strict input validation on all user-supplied parameters, implementing robust access control checks for all file operations, and ensuring that thumbnail generation processes verify user permissions before serving any content. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability underscores the importance of proper authorization mechanisms in collaborative platforms where users may have varying levels of access rights and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks in web applications.