CVE-2018-11323 in Joomla
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Joomla! Core before 3.8.8. Inadequate checks allowed users to modify the access levels of user groups with higher permissions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11323 represents a critical access control flaw within Joomla framework's permission management system, specifically within the way the application handles user group access level modifications. Attackers with lower privileged accounts can exploit this weakness to elevate their permissions by modifying access levels of higher-privileged user groups, effectively bypassing intended security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the inadequate input validation and authorization checks within Joomla!'s user management components. When users attempt to modify access levels for user groups, the application fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses sufficient privileges to make such modifications. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability that aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software systems. The flaw essentially allows for unauthorized modification of security policies, enabling attackers to gain elevated access rights that should be restricted to administrators or privileged personnel.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, creating significant risks for Joomla! installations. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain access to sensitive administrative functions, modify user permissions across the entire system, and potentially compromise the integrity of the entire platform. This vulnerability directly affects the principle of least privilege, which is fundamental to secure system design and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1484.001 for Group Policy Modification. The exploitability of this issue means that even users with minimal privileges can manipulate the access control matrix, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
Organizations running vulnerable Joomla version 3.8.8 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for this access control flaw. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough audits of user permissions and access control settings to identify any potential unauthorized modifications that may have occurred before patching. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper security testing and code review processes, particularly for core framework components that handle authentication and authorization functions, as outlined in OWASP Top 10 2017 category A07: Identification and Authentication Failures.