CVE-2019-17604 in eyeCMS
Summary
by MITRE
An Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability in eyecomms eyeCMS through 2019-10-15 allows any candidate to change other candidates' personal information (first name, last name, email, CV, phone number, and all other personal information) by changing the value of the candidate id (the id parameter).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2024
The CVE-2019-17604 vulnerability represents a critical Insecure Direct Object Reference flaw in the eyecomms eyeCMS platform, specifically affecting versions through 2019-10-15. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-284 category, which addresses improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to manipulate objects they should not have access to. The vulnerability exists within the candidate management functionality of the system, where the application fails to properly validate user permissions before processing requests to modify candidate personal information. Attackers can exploit this weakness by simply altering the candidate id parameter in API requests, thereby gaining unauthorized access to modify data belonging to other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's reliance on direct object references without proper authorization checks. When a user makes a request to modify candidate information, the system accepts the candidate id parameter directly from the client without verifying whether the requesting user has legitimate access rights to modify that specific candidate's data. This allows any authenticated user to iterate through candidate ids and modify personal information including first name, last name, email addresses, CV documents, phone numbers, and all other personal data fields associated with different candidates. The flaw essentially bypasses the normal access control mechanisms that should prevent users from accessing or modifying data outside their authorized scope.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. An attacker with access to the system can systematically compromise multiple candidate records, potentially leading to identity theft, data breaches, and reputational damage for the organization. The vulnerability enables mass data manipulation without requiring elevated privileges or complex attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous in environments where sensitive personal information is stored. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability maps to the attack pattern described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1078 technique for Valid Accounts, as it allows lateral movement and privilege escalation through the manipulation of existing user accounts and their associated data. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it affects all personal information fields, including potentially sensitive documents like CVs, which could contain additional confidential data.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires implementing proper access control mechanisms that enforce authorization checks before allowing any modifications to candidate data. Organizations should implement the principle of least privilege, ensuring that users can only access and modify data that belongs to them or that they have explicit authorization to manage. The system should validate that the authenticated user has proper permissions to access or modify the candidate record identified by the provided candidate id parameter. This can be achieved through proper session management, role-based access controls, and input validation that ensures the candidate id parameter corresponds to data that the authenticated user is authorized to access. Additionally, logging and monitoring should be implemented to detect unauthorized access attempts and provide audit trails for security investigations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper access control checks in web applications, as highlighted by industry best practices and security frameworks that emphasize the need for robust authorization mechanisms to prevent unauthorized data manipulation.