CVE-2017-20077 in Hindu Matrimonial Script
Summary
by MITRE • 06/21/2022
A vulnerability was found in Hindu Matrimonial Script. It has been rated as critical. This issue affects some unknown processing of the file /admin/success_story.php. The manipulation leads to improper privilege management. The attack may be initiated remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-20077 represents a critical security flaw within the Hindu Matrimonial Script web application, demonstrating a significant weakness in access control mechanisms that could enable unauthorized administrative actions. This vulnerability specifically targets the /admin/success_story.php file, which serves as a backend administrative interface for managing success stories within the matrimonial platform. The flaw manifests as improper privilege management, where the application fails to adequately verify user permissions before executing administrative functions, creating a pathway for unauthorized users to escalate their privileges and gain access to restricted administrative features.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and authentication checks within the administrative processing logic. When the application processes requests through the success_story.php endpoint, it does not sufficiently validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges to perform the requested operations. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate the application's processing flow by exploiting the lack of proper access control enforcement, potentially enabling them to execute administrative functions without proper authorization. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage this flaw from external networks without requiring physical access to the system, significantly expanding the potential attack surface.
From an operational impact perspective, this critical vulnerability exposes the Hindu Matrimonial Script to severe security risks including unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions, potential data manipulation, and possible complete system compromise. The disclosure of this exploit to the public creates an immediate threat landscape where malicious actors can readily exploit the vulnerability to gain administrative control over affected systems. This could result in unauthorized modification of success stories, potential data breaches, and the ability to perform other administrative actions that may compromise the integrity and confidentiality of user data within the matrimonial platform.
Organizations utilizing this script should implement immediate mitigation measures including applying available patches or updates from the vendor, implementing additional access controls through web application firewalls, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of the affected application components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper privilege management, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in security design. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and could enable adversaries to move laterally within the system once initial access is achieved. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation, monitoring for suspicious administrative access patterns, and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar privilege management flaws in other application components.