CVE-2018-1286 in OpenMeetings
Summary
by MITRE
In Apache OpenMeetings 3.0.0 - 4.0.1, CRUD operations on privileged users are not password protected allowing an authenticated attacker to deny service for privileged users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-1286 represents a critical security flaw in Apache OpenMeetings versions 3.0.0 through 4.0.1 that undermines the system's access control mechanisms. This issue stems from insufficient authentication requirements for privileged user management operations, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to manipulate user accounts and potentially disrupt service availability. The vulnerability specifically affects the Create, Read, Update, and Delete operations that can be performed on privileged user accounts without additional password verification, fundamentally weakening the application's security posture.
The technical implementation flaw lies in the application's failure to enforce proper authorization checks for administrative user operations. When an attacker gains authentication access to the system, they can leverage this privilege to perform unauthorized modifications to privileged user accounts without the required password confirmation. This design weakness creates a privilege escalation vector where standard authenticated users can potentially gain elevated access or cause service disruption through malicious manipulation of user accounts. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-285 which addresses insufficient authorization in software systems, specifically targeting improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized operations on privileged resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential denial of service conditions for legitimate privileged users. An attacker could disable or modify accounts of system administrators, conference organizers, or other privileged roles, effectively locking out legitimate users from accessing critical system functionality. This disruption could manifest as complete service unavailability for administrative functions, preventing system maintenance, user management, or conference operations from proceeding normally. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat where attackers can repeatedly exploit the weakness without requiring additional credentials, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application serves critical business functions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-1286 should focus on implementing proper authentication requirements for all privileged user operations. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Apache OpenMeetings version 4.0.2 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through enhanced access control mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should implement network segmentation to limit access to the application's administrative interfaces and ensure that privileged accounts are protected with strong authentication measures. The implementation of multi-factor authentication for administrative functions and regular security audits of user access controls can help prevent exploitation of similar authorization flaws. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following the principle of least privilege and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect critical system functions from unauthorized manipulation.