CVE-2018-0505 in MediaWiki
Summary
by MITRE
Mediawiki 1.31 before 1.31.1, 1.30.1, 1.29.3 and 1.27.5 contains a flaw where BotPasswords can bypass CentralAuth's account lock
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0505 affects MediaWiki versions prior to 1.31.1, 1.30.1, 1.29.3, and 1.27.5, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the authentication mechanisms within the MediaWiki platform. This issue specifically targets the interaction between BotPasswords functionality and CentralAuth account locking features, creating a significant bypass opportunity that could allow unauthorized access to protected accounts. The flaw exists within the core authentication architecture where the system fails to properly validate account lock status when processing BotPassword requests, effectively permitting malicious actors to circumvent security controls that should prevent access to locked accounts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a logic error in the authentication flow where BotPasswords are processed without proper verification of the account's locked status. When a user account is locked through CentralAuth, the system should prevent all forms of authentication including BotPasswords, yet the flaw allows these automated authentication tokens to succeed despite the account being locked. This represents a direct violation of access control principles and demonstrates a failure in the principle of least privilege. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-284 Access Control Bypass, which specifically addresses situations where systems fail to properly enforce access restrictions and allow unauthorized access to protected resources. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor mechanism where automated processes can bypass the intended account lock mechanisms, undermining the entire security posture of the authentication system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks within MediaWiki environments. Attackers could exploit this flaw to gain access to locked administrator accounts, potentially leading to complete system compromise and data breaches. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on MediaWiki for content management, wikis, and collaborative platforms where account security is paramount. In enterprise environments, this could result in unauthorized modifications to critical content, data exfiltration, or disruption of services. The flaw particularly impacts organizations that use CentralAuth for managing user accounts across multiple wiki instances, as it undermines the centralized authentication control that should prevent unauthorized access. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, where adversaries leverage legitimate credentials to maintain persistent access to systems, though in this case the credentials are effectively bypassed through a system flaw rather than stolen.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to the patched versions of MediaWiki as specified in the CVE advisory, ensuring that all instances are updated to versions 1.31.1, 1.30.1, 1.29.3, or 1.27.5 respectively. Additionally, administrators should review and audit account lock statuses across all user accounts, particularly those with elevated privileges, to ensure that no unauthorized access has occurred through this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should also include monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns and implementing additional access controls beyond the default CentralAuth mechanisms. Security teams should consider implementing network-level controls to detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts, and organizations should conduct thorough security assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper authentication flow testing and validation, particularly in systems that integrate multiple authentication mechanisms where cross-component validation is essential for maintaining security boundaries.