CVE-2017-16754 in Bolt
Summary
by MITRE
Bolt before 3.3.6 does not properly restrict access to _profiler routes, related to EventListener/ProfilerListener.php and Provider/EventListenerServiceProvider.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-16754 affects Bolt CMS versions prior to 3.3.6, specifically targeting the application's security controls around profiler routes. This issue stems from inadequate access restriction mechanisms within the EventListener/ProfilerListener.php and Provider/EventListenerServiceProvider.php components, creating a potential security risk that could allow unauthorized users to access sensitive profiling information. The flaw represents a critical oversight in the application's security architecture where administrative or debugging endpoints should be protected but remain accessible to all users without proper authentication checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper handling of route permissions within the Bolt CMS framework. When the profiler routes are exposed without proper access controls, attackers can potentially access detailed system information including memory usage patterns, execution times, and potentially sensitive data about the application's internal operations. This misconfiguration allows for information disclosure attacks where adversaries can gather intelligence about the system's configuration, dependencies, and operational characteristics that would normally be restricted to authorized administrators or developers. The vulnerability specifically affects the event listener components that manage profiling functionality, creating a direct pathway for unauthorized access to debugging information that should remain protected.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that can be used for further exploitation attempts. The exposure of profiler routes can reveal system architecture details, application performance metrics, and potential attack vectors that would aid in crafting more sophisticated attacks against the platform. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should apply to all administrative and debugging functionality within web applications. The lack of proper authentication checks means that any user, including unauthenticated visitors, can access these sensitive profiling endpoints.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-16754 require immediate application of the patched version 3.3.6 or later, which implements proper access controls for profiler routes. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Bolt CMS installations to identify any other potential access control vulnerabilities within the application's routing system. Security teams should implement network-level controls to restrict access to profiling endpoints and ensure that debugging features are disabled in production environments. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1068, which involves exploiting legitimate credentials and access to gain unauthorized access, though in this case the access is gained through misconfigured permissions rather than credential theft. Regular security audits and proper configuration management practices should be implemented to prevent similar access control issues from occurring in other components of the application stack.