CVE-2018-16163 in OpenDolphin
Summary
by MITRE
OpenDolphin 2.7.0 and earlier allows authenticated attackers to bypass authentication to create and/or delete other users accounts via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16163 affects OpenDolphin versions 2.7.0 and earlier, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that enables authenticated attackers to perform unauthorized user account operations. This issue stems from insufficient access control mechanisms within the application's user management subsystem, allowing malicious actors who have already established authentication to escalate their privileges and manipulate other user accounts without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically permits attackers to create new user accounts or delete existing ones, fundamentally compromising the integrity and availability of the user management functionality. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw exists in the underlying authorization logic or session management components that should have validated the attacker's rights to perform administrative actions.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates a classic authorization bypass weakness that aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems. The flaw likely manifests through inadequate validation of user permissions during account creation or deletion operations, where the application fails to properly verify whether the authenticated user possesses sufficient privileges to execute these actions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it directly undermines the application's user management security model, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access points through account creation or eliminate legitimate users through account deletion. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when developers assume that authenticated users automatically possess administrative capabilities or when access control checks are bypassed in specific code paths.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-16163 is substantial, as it provides attackers with the ability to completely subvert the application's user management security controls. An authenticated attacker can leverage this vulnerability to either establish backdoor accounts with elevated privileges or remove legitimate users from the system, effectively disrupting service availability and compromising system integrity. This vulnerability directly maps to several tactics in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to privilege escalation and account manipulation. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that the vulnerability requires only authentication to exploit, meaning that an attacker who has already gained access to any legitimate user account can leverage this flaw to gain broader system control. Organizations using affected versions of OpenDolphin face significant risk of unauthorized access, data manipulation, and potential service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper access control mechanisms and strengthening authorization checks within the user management subsystem. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of OpenDolphin that address this authentication bypass flaw, as the vulnerability cannot be effectively mitigated through configuration changes alone. Security patches should include comprehensive validation of user permissions before allowing account creation or deletion operations, implementing role-based access controls, and ensuring that all administrative actions require explicit authorization verification. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their user management systems, implement proper logging and monitoring of account operations, and establish regular security testing procedures to identify similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities. The remediation process should also include reviewing and strengthening session management practices to prevent session hijacking attacks that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability.