CVE-2018-6180 in Online Voting System
Summary
by MITRE
A flaw in the profile section of Online Voting System 1.0 allows an unauthenticated user to set an arbitrary password for other accounts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6180 resides within the profile management functionality of Online Voting System version 1.0, representing a critical authorization flaw that fundamentally undermines the system's user authentication security model. This weakness enables attackers to manipulate account credentials without proper authentication, creating a severe privilege escalation vector that directly compromises the integrity of user accounts within the voting platform. The flaw manifests specifically in the profile update mechanisms where insufficient input validation and authentication checks allow malicious actors to modify password fields for arbitrary user accounts through crafted requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate server-side validation of user permissions during profile modification operations. When users attempt to update account information through the web interface, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary authorization to modify another user's password field. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks that aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within authentication systems. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through direct manipulation of web requests, potentially via tools such as burp suite or custom scripts that target the profile update endpoints.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk landscape for online voting systems where user account integrity is paramount for maintaining election security and voter privacy. An unauthenticated attacker could potentially compromise multiple user accounts simultaneously, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive voting information, manipulation of voting records, or impersonation of legitimate users. The impact extends beyond individual account compromise to potentially affect the entire electoral process, as the vulnerability could enable attackers to gain administrative privileges or manipulate voting outcomes through account takeover scenarios. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the system's user management architecture.
The exploitation of this vulnerability typically requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed through simple web request manipulation techniques. Attackers need only identify the profile update endpoint, construct a malicious request containing target user identifiers and desired password values, and submit it without proper authentication. This low barrier to exploitation makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where such systems may be deployed without adequate security monitoring or intrusion detection mechanisms. The vulnerability also creates persistent access points that remain viable until the underlying authorization logic is corrected, potentially allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to compromised accounts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6180 must address both the immediate authorization gap and implement comprehensive security controls around user account management functions. Organizations should implement robust authentication verification mechanisms that validate user permissions before allowing any profile modifications, ensuring that only authorized users can modify account details for other users. Input validation should be strengthened to prevent unauthorized parameter manipulation, and all profile update operations should require proper session validation and multi-factor authentication where applicable. Additionally, implementing proper access control lists and role-based permissions within the application framework can help prevent unauthorized account modifications. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual profile update patterns and unauthorized access attempts to identify potential exploitation of this vulnerability. The remediation approach should align with NIST cybersecurity framework principles and incorporate defense-in-depth strategies to prevent similar authorization flaws from occurring in other system components. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across the entire application stack, as this type of authorization flaw often indicates broader security architecture weaknesses that may affect other system functions.