CVE-2018-18922 in Ticketly
Summary
by MITRE
add_user in AbiSoft Ticketly 1.0 allows remote attackers to create administrator accounts via an action/add_user.php POST request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18922 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw in AbiSoft Ticketly version 1.0 that enables remote attackers to escalate their privileges by creating administrator accounts. This issue resides within the application's user management functionality where the add_user.php script fails to properly validate authentication status or authorization levels before processing user creation requests. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms that allow any authenticated user or even unauthenticated attacker to submit malicious POST requests to the action/add_user.php endpoint without proper authorization checks. The flaw operates under CWE-863, which specifically addresses "Incorrect Authorization" conditions where the application fails to properly verify that the requesting entity has sufficient privileges to perform the requested operation. This weakness creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation attacks where attackers can leverage the vulnerability to gain administrative control over the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to exploit the lack of proper authentication verification by crafting malicious POST requests to the action/add_user.php endpoint. The application processes these requests without validating whether the submitting entity possesses the necessary administrative privileges to create new user accounts, particularly administrator accounts. This flaw essentially removes the authentication barrier that should normally prevent unauthorized users from creating new accounts with elevated permissions. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers Valid Accounts and T1548.001 which addresses Abuse of Functionality, where attackers exploit legitimate application features to perform unauthorized actions. The attack vector requires minimal technical expertise as it leverages existing application functionality rather than requiring complex exploitation techniques, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application is publicly accessible.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-18922 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise and potential data breaches. Once an attacker successfully creates an administrator account, they gain full control over the application's functionality including access to sensitive user data, system configuration settings, and potentially the underlying database. This vulnerability creates a persistent backdoor that attackers can use for ongoing access to the system, enabling them to monitor user activities, modify or delete data, and establish further footholds within the network. The compromised system may also serve as a launching point for lateral movement attacks against other network resources, particularly if the application is integrated with other systems or databases. Organizations using AbiSoft Ticketly 1.0 are at risk of unauthorized data access, system integrity compromise, and potential regulatory violations if sensitive information is stored within the compromised application.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-18922 should focus on implementing proper access controls and authentication verification mechanisms within the application's user management functions. Organizations must immediately apply the vendor-provided patch or upgrade to a version that addresses this vulnerability, as no reliable workarounds exist for this specific flaw. The solution requires implementing robust authorization checks that validate the requesting entity's privileges before allowing user creation operations, particularly administrator account creation. Security measures should include input validation, proper session management, and role-based access controls that enforce the principle of least privilege. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to limit access to the vulnerable endpoint, while monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect unauthorized user creation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authorization controls in web applications and aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework, where inadequate access control represents one of the most prevalent and dangerous security weaknesses in web applications.