CVE-2023-0994 in rosariosis
Summary
by MITRE • 02/24/2023
Improper Access Control in GitHub repository francoisjacquet/rosariosis prior to 10.8.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-0994 represents a critical improper access control flaw discovered in the rosariosis repository maintained by francoisjacquet on github. This repository serves as the official source code distribution for RosarioSIS, a comprehensive school management system widely adopted by educational institutions globally. The vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 10.8.2, indicating that the access control mechanisms implemented within the application's authentication and authorization framework were insufficient to prevent unauthorized users from accessing restricted functionalities and data. The flaw manifests in the application's failure to properly validate user permissions and roles, creating potential entry points for malicious actors to bypass intended security controls.
The technical implementation of this access control vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user privileges within the application's core authentication system. When users attempt to access protected resources or perform administrative functions, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary authorization levels. This weakness allows authenticated users with lower privilege levels to potentially execute actions reserved for administrators or other high-privilege accounts. The vulnerability can be exploited through various vectors including direct manipulation of application parameters, session hijacking techniques, or by leveraging existing authenticated sessions to escalate privileges. The flaw demonstrates poor adherence to secure coding practices and highlights the critical importance of implementing robust access control mechanisms at multiple layers of the application architecture.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-0994 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially enabling full system compromise and data breaches within educational institutions using vulnerable versions of RosarioSIS. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to modify student records, manipulate grade databases, access confidential administrative information, or even gain complete control over the school management system. The consequences are particularly severe given that RosarioSIS handles sensitive personal data of students, parents, and staff members, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit educational institutions. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations under data protection laws, reputational damage, and potential legal consequences if unauthorized access results in data exposure or system compromise. The vulnerability also poses risks to the integrity of educational data and could disrupt normal institutional operations during exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-0994 require immediate action to upgrade to version 10.8.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches addressing the improper access control implementation. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their deployed systems to identify any potential exploitation attempts and verify the successful implementation of the security patches. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which specifically addresses improper authorization within software applications, and represents a significant concern under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques. Security teams should implement additional logging and monitoring controls to track access attempts to sensitive system components and establish incident response procedures specifically designed to address access control breaches. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other components of the educational management system infrastructure.