CVE-2021-3376 in Cuppa
Summary
by MITRE • 12/14/2021
An issue was discovered in Cuppa CMS Versions Before 31 Jan 2021 allows authenticated attackers to gain escalated privileges via a crafted POST request using the user_group_id_field parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-3376 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Cuppa CMS versions prior to the January 31, 2021 release. This security weakness specifically targets the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the content management system, enabling malicious actors who have already established user credentials to manipulate system permissions through carefully crafted HTTP POST requests. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control enforcement within the user management component of the CMS platform.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the user_group_id_field parameter within HTTP POST requests that are typically used for user account modifications or administrative operations. When an authenticated attacker submits a specially crafted request containing modified group identifiers, the system fails to properly validate these inputs against the current user's authorization level. This validation failure allows the attacker to assign themselves to higher privilege groups or modify existing user permissions in ways that should be restricted to system administrators only. The flaw operates at the application logic level, specifically within the user privilege management subsystem where proper access control checks are insufficient or absent.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the Cuppa CMS platform. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain administrative access to the content management system, potentially leading to full system compromise, data theft, or unauthorized modifications to website content. This weakness is particularly dangerous because it requires only authenticated access to the system, meaning that any user with valid login credentials can attempt to escalate their privileges. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the CMS infrastructure, as compromised administrative accounts can be used to modify content, delete files, or even install malicious code on the web server.
Organizations utilizing affected Cuppa CMS versions should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patch released on January 31, 2021, which addresses the input validation and access control issues. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls with custom rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests containing malformed user_group_id_field parameters. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization in software applications, and may be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1484 for domain policy modification. Regular security audits should be conducted to ensure that all CMS components are updated to their latest secure versions, and that proper input sanitization and access control mechanisms are in place throughout the application stack.