CVE-2018-14867 in Community
Summary
by MITRE
Incorrect access control in the portal messaging system in Odoo Community 9.0 and 10.0 and Odoo Enterprise 9.0 and 10.0 allows remote attackers to post messages on behalf of customers, and to guess document attribute values, via crafted parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14867 represents a critical access control flaw within the portal messaging system of Odoo Community and Enterprise editions version 9.0 and 10.0. This issue stems from insufficient validation of user permissions and input parameters within the messaging framework that governs how users interact with customer communications. The flaw exists in the way the system processes crafted HTTP parameters that are typically used to determine message posting rights and document access levels within the portal environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to manipulate parameter values that control message posting privileges and document attribute access. Specifically, attackers can exploit weak input validation mechanisms to forge messages that appear to originate from legitimate customers while simultaneously gaining unauthorized access to document metadata and attribute values. This occurs because the portal messaging system fails to properly authenticate and authorize parameter modifications before processing user requests, creating a pathway for privilege escalation through parameter tampering.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple message spoofing to include significant data exposure risks. Attackers can not only post malicious messages on behalf of customers but also systematically guess or enumerate document attribute values, potentially leading to information disclosure and unauthorized access to sensitive business data. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of the portal system by allowing unauthenticated or unauthorized users to bypass access controls that should prevent such activities. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where customer communications contain sensitive business information and where maintaining data integrity and access control is paramount for compliance with regulations such as gdpr and hipaa.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers can exploit the system to post malicious content that appears legitimate to customers. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate session management within the web application framework, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate system behavior through parameter injection attacks. Organizations using affected Odoo versions face significant risk of customer data compromise, reputational damage, and potential regulatory penalties due to the exposure of sensitive information through this vulnerability.
The recommended mitigations include immediate patch application to versions that address the access control implementation, implementation of proper input validation and parameter sanitization for all portal messaging parameters, and enhanced authentication mechanisms for message posting operations. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to portal messaging systems, conduct regular security assessments of web applications, and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized message posting activities. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to filter suspicious parameter values, configuring proper access controls for portal users, and establishing incident response procedures specifically addressing message spoofing and unauthorized data access scenarios.