CVE-2019-14724 in CentOS Web Panel
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2023
In CentOS-WebPanel.com (aka CWP) CentOS Web Panel 0.9.8.851, an insecure object reference allows an attacker to edit an e-mail forwarding destination of a victim's account via an attacker account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-14724 resides within the CentOS Web Panel (CWP) version 0.9.8.851, a widely used web hosting control panel for managing CentOS servers. This security flaw represents a critical authorization bypass issue that fundamentally undermines the panel's access control mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests through an insecure object reference that permits unauthorized users to manipulate email forwarding configurations belonging to other accounts within the same hosting environment. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-639 category of Weak Authorization, specifically targeting the improper restriction of operations within a single control panel. The flaw allows an attacker with access to any valid account within the CWP system to exploit the object reference mechanism and modify email forwarding destinations for victim accounts without proper authentication or authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and object reference handling within the CWP email management functionality. When users attempt to modify email forwarding settings through the web interface, the system fails to properly validate whether the requesting user has legitimate access rights to the target account's email configuration. This insecure reference allows attackers to manipulate URL parameters or API calls that reference email forwarding objects using predictable or guessable identifiers. The vulnerability essentially permits a user to submit requests that target email forwarding configurations belonging to different accounts by simply knowing the appropriate object identifiers. The flaw demonstrates poor separation of concerns in the application's security model, where account boundaries are not properly enforced during email configuration modifications. Attackers can leverage this weakness to redirect email traffic from victim accounts to attacker-controlled addresses, potentially enabling spam distribution, credential harvesting, or further compromise of the victim's hosting environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-14724 extends beyond simple email redirection, creating significant security risks for hosting providers and their customers. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can disrupt legitimate email services for victims, potentially causing business interruptions and customer trust erosion. The ability to modify email forwarding destinations provides attackers with a foothold for further attacks, as they can redirect important notifications, password reset emails, or administrative alerts to their own addresses. This vulnerability particularly affects shared hosting environments where multiple customers utilize the same CWP instance, as it enables cross-account privilege escalation. The attack vector is relatively simple to exploit, requiring only basic knowledge of the CWP interface and object reference patterns. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing techniques, as attackers can use compromised email forwarding to maintain persistence and conduct further social engineering attacks. The vulnerability also represents a significant threat to data integrity and confidentiality, as it allows unauthorized modification of email infrastructure that may contain sensitive business communications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-14724 require immediate attention from system administrators and hosting providers. The most effective immediate solution involves applying the vendor-provided security patches or upgrading to CWP versions that address this authorization bypass. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control measures including proper input validation, object reference validation, and user session management. Network segmentation and monitoring of email configuration changes can help detect unauthorized modifications. The implementation of role-based access controls and proper audit logging should be enforced to track all email forwarding modifications. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments focusing on object reference handling and authorization mechanisms. The use of automated security scanning tools can help identify similar insecure object reference patterns within the application. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access and regular security training for personnel managing CWP environments. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security testing during application development, particularly focusing on authorization and access control mechanisms. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other web applications and control panels.