CVE-2017-17952 in PHP Multivendor Ecommerce
Summary
by MITRE
PHP Scripts Mall PHP Multivendor Ecommerce has a predicable registration URL, which makes it easier for remote attackers to register with an invalid or spoofed e-mail address.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17952 affects PHP Scripts Mall PHP Multivendor Ecommerce platforms where the registration endpoint follows a predictable URL pattern. This predicability in the registration URL creates a significant security weakness that adversaries can exploit to manipulate user registration processes. The vulnerability resides in the application's lack of proper access controls or obfuscation mechanisms for registration endpoints, allowing unauthorized parties to easily discover and utilize these paths for malicious activities.
This security flaw represents a critical issue in web application security architecture, specifically related to information disclosure and access control bypass. The predictable nature of the registration URL means that attackers can systematically enumerate potential registration endpoints without requiring extensive reconnaissance or exploitation techniques. The vulnerability enables unauthorized registration with spoofed email addresses, which can be leveraged for various malicious purposes including account takeover attempts, spam distribution, or creating fake user profiles to facilitate further attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly increases the attack surface for the affected ecommerce platform. Attackers can automate the registration process using the predictable URL pattern to create multiple fake accounts, potentially leading to service abuse, denial of service conditions, or the establishment of fraudulent user profiles that could be used for phishing or social engineering attacks. The ability to register with invalid or spoofed email addresses undermines the platform's user authentication and verification mechanisms, creating opportunities for credential stuffing attacks or the creation of bot accounts that could be used for automated exploitation of other system components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from poor security design practices where registration endpoints are not adequately protected or obfuscated within the application's URL structure. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-668, which addresses "Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere" and represents a clear violation of secure coding principles. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers "Valid Accounts" and demonstrates how predictable access points can enable adversaries to establish persistent access through legitimate user account creation. Organizations implementing this ecommerce solution should implement proper URL randomization, access control mechanisms, and rate limiting for registration endpoints to prevent automated exploitation attempts.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include implementing randomized or non-predictable URL patterns for registration endpoints, enforcing strict access controls and authentication requirements for registration processes, and implementing comprehensive rate limiting and monitoring mechanisms to detect and prevent automated registration attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar predictable access points throughout their application architecture, ensuring that all user registration and account management endpoints are properly secured against automated exploitation attempts. The implementation of proper input validation and email verification mechanisms can further reduce the impact of this vulnerability by preventing the creation of fraudulent accounts even if registration attempts are successful.