CVE-2023-28632 in GLPI
Summary
by MITRE • 04/05/2023
GLPI is a free asset and IT management software package. Starting in version 0.83 and prior to versions 9.5.13 and 10.0.7, an authenticated user can modify emails of any user, and can therefore takeover another user account through the "forgotten password" feature. By modifying emails, the user can also receive sensitive data through GLPI notifications. Versions 9.5.13 and 10.0.7 contain a patch for this issue. As a workaround, account takeover can be prevented by deactivating all notifications related to `Forgotten password?` event. However, it will not prevent unauthorized modification of any user emails.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2023-28632 affects GLPI, a widely used open-source asset and IT management software package that serves organizations for tracking hardware, software, and IT resources. This security flaw represents a critical privilege escalation issue that allows authenticated users to manipulate user email addresses within the system, potentially enabling account takeover and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability exists in versions 0.83 through 9.5.12 and 10.0.6, making it a long-standing issue that has affected numerous installations across different GLPI branches. The flaw specifically targets the user email modification functionality, which directly impacts the password recovery mechanism and notification system that forms the foundation of user authentication within the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and validation mechanisms within the user management component of GLPI. When an authenticated user can modify any user's email address, they effectively gain the ability to intercept all password reset emails and notification communications intended for that user. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a lack of proper input validation and access control enforcement. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 Access Control Bypass, which occurs when a system fails to properly enforce access restrictions, allowing unauthorized users to access resources or perform actions they should not be permitted to execute. The flaw specifically enables an attacker to modify email addresses associated with user accounts, which then allows them to receive password reset emails and potentially gain unauthorized access to those accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple account takeover capabilities, as it provides attackers with access to sensitive data through notification channels. An attacker who successfully modifies a user's email address can intercept critical system notifications, including alerts about security events, system updates, and potentially confidential information shared through the GLPI notification system. This creates a significant risk for organizations that rely on GLPI for IT asset management, as unauthorized users could gain access to sensitive infrastructure information, system alerts, and other notifications that would normally be restricted to authorized personnel. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor for information disclosure and privilege escalation that can be exploited by any authenticated user within the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the GLPI platform.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the recommended patch versions 9.5.13 and 10.0.7 to address the root cause of the issue. The workaround of disabling password reset notifications provides only partial protection, as it does not prevent the underlying email modification functionality that enables the attack. Security teams should also conduct immediate audits of user permissions and access controls within their GLPI installations to identify any potential exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing, as it enables attackers to leverage legitimate user accounts and intercept password reset communications. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual email address modifications and notification activities, particularly in environments where GLPI is used for critical infrastructure management. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper access control implementation and input validation in preventing privilege escalation attacks that can compromise entire user bases within a single application instance.