CVE-2018-19224 in LAOBANCMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in LAOBANCMS 2.0. /admin/login.php allows spoofing of the id and guanliyuan cookies.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-19224 resides within LAOBANCMS 2.0, a content management system that appears to have been developed for administrative purposes. This particular flaw manifests in the authentication mechanism of the system, specifically within the /admin/login.php file. The issue enables malicious actors to manipulate cookie values in a way that could potentially allow unauthorized access to administrative functions. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of cookie parameters, particularly those related to user identification and administrative privileges.
The technical flaw represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and improper session management, which can be categorized under CWE-285 - Improper Authorization and CWE-346 - Origin Validation Failure. The vulnerability allows attackers to forge the id and guanliyuan cookies, which are typically used to maintain administrative session state and user privileges within the system. When these cookies are spoofed, an attacker can essentially impersonate legitimate administrators, gaining access to restricted areas of the application without proper authentication. This cookie manipulation directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the integrity of the authentication system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides attackers with potential administrative access to the CMS system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain full control over the content management system, including the ability to modify website content, upload malicious files, delete data, and potentially escalate privileges further within the network. The vulnerability also represents a potential entry point for more extensive attacks, as administrative access often provides broader network access and can serve as a stepping stone for lateral movement. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002 - Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism, where adversaries manipulate system controls to gain elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper cookie validation and secure session management practices. The system should enforce strict validation of cookie contents, particularly those related to user identification and privilege levels, ensuring that cookie values cannot be easily manipulated or forged. Implementing secure session management with proper session tokens, using HttpOnly and Secure flags on cookies, and implementing proper input sanitization can significantly reduce the risk. Additionally, the application should validate cookie authenticity through cryptographic means such as HMAC signatures, and implement proper access controls that verify user privileges at each request. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the authentication system. Organizations should also consider implementing additional layers of security such as multi-factor authentication and monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts.