CVE-2018-17037 in UCMS
Summary
by MITRE
user/editpost.php in UCMS 1.4.6 mishandles levels, which allows escalation from the normal user level of 1 to the superuser level of 3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-17037 resides within the user/editpost.php component of UCMS version 1.4.6, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that fundamentally compromises the application's access control mechanisms. This issue stems from improper handling of user level validation during post editing operations, creating a pathway for malicious actors to elevate their privileges from standard user status to superuser level. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's ability to properly authenticate and authorize user actions, allowing unauthorized access to administrative functions through a simple manipulation of user level parameters.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's insufficient input validation and access control checks within the editpost.php script. When a normal user attempts to edit a post, the system fails to properly verify whether the user possesses the necessary privileges to perform such actions. This weakness enables an attacker to manipulate the user level parameter from its legitimate value of 1 to the unauthorized superuser level of 3, effectively bypassing the application's intended security controls. The vulnerability falls under CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control, and more broadly relates to CWE-798 which covers the use of hard-coded credentials or privilege levels. The flaw demonstrates a classic lack of proper authorization checks and demonstrates the importance of implementing robust access control mechanisms that validate user permissions at every interaction point.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the affected UCMS instance. Once an attacker successfully exploits this privilege escalation, they gain unrestricted access to all administrative functions including user management, content modification, system configuration changes, and potentially access to sensitive data stored within the application. This level of access allows for persistent compromise of the system, enabling attackers to install backdoors, modify security settings, and conduct long-term unauthorized access to the platform. The vulnerability also exposes the system to potential data breaches and unauthorized modifications that could affect the integrity and availability of the entire content management system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate code-level fixes and broader architectural security improvements. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input validation and authorization checks within the editpost.php script, ensuring that user level parameters cannot be manipulated to bypass access controls. Security measures should include implementing proper role-based access control mechanisms, validating user permissions against the current session context, and employing parameterized inputs to prevent unauthorized privilege elevation. Organizations should also implement the principle of least privilege, ensuring that users only have access to functions necessary for their specific roles. Additionally, regular security code reviews and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers exploit for privilege escalation and T1484 which covers path modification, highlighting the need for comprehensive security controls that prevent unauthorized access to administrative functions.