CVE-2017-17693 in Portfolio Management Panel
Summary
by MITRE
Techno - Portfolio Management Panel through 2017-11-16 does not check authorization for panel/portfolio.php?action=delete requests that remove feedback.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17693 resides within the Techno Portfolio Management Panel software version released through November 16, 2017. This security flaw represents a critical authorization bypass issue that allows unauthorized users to delete feedback entries through the panel/portfolio.php?action=delete endpoint. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access control mechanisms within the web application's authentication framework, specifically failing to validate user permissions before executing destructive operations. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-285 category of Improper Authorization, where the application does not properly verify that the requesting user has the necessary privileges to perform the requested action.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the application layer where the portfolio management panel fails to implement proper session validation or role-based access controls when processing delete requests. When a user submits a request to the panel/portfolio.php?action=delete endpoint, the application should verify that the authenticated user possesses administrative privileges or ownership rights over the feedback being deleted. However, the software lacks this crucial authorization check, allowing any authenticated user to potentially execute delete operations on feedback entries regardless of their actual permissions. This authorization bypass creates a pathway for privilege escalation and data manipulation attacks that can compromise the integrity of user feedback systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data deletion capabilities, as it can lead to significant data integrity issues within the portfolio management system. An attacker who gains access to the application could systematically remove feedback entries to manipulate project assessments, hide negative reviews, or disrupt the evaluation process. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on user feedback for portfolio decisions, as the removal of critical feedback data can lead to poor decision-making and potential financial losses. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that this vulnerability could be exploited as part of broader attack chains targeting web applications, potentially leading to more severe consequences such as data exfiltration or system compromise.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust authorization controls throughout the application's access control framework. The primary remediation involves adding proper authentication checks within the delete request processing logic to ensure that only users with appropriate privileges can execute deletion operations. This includes implementing role-based access controls where feedback deletion permissions are restricted to administrators or project owners. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and parameter sanitization to prevent injection attacks that could exploit similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include comprehensive code reviews to identify similar authorization gaps in other endpoints and functions within the application. Additionally, implementing proper logging and monitoring of delete operations can help detect unauthorized attempts to remove feedback entries. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as unauthorized users can leverage this flaw to gain elevated privileges within the application. The remediation approach should follow security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST Cybersecurity Framework to ensure comprehensive protection against similar authorization bypass threats.