CVE-2023-48902 in Autoexpress
Summary
by MITRE • 03/21/2024
An issue was discovered in tramyardg autoexpress version 1.3.0, allows unauthenticated remote attackers to escalate privileges, update car data, delete vehicles, and upload car images via authentication bypass in uploadCarImages.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-48902 affects tramyardg autoexpress version 1.3.0 and represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that exposes sensitive vehicle management functionalities to unauthenticated remote attackers. This issue specifically targets the uploadCarImages.php script which serves as a gateway for car image uploads and associated vehicle data operations. The flaw allows attackers to bypass the intended authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to administrative functions typically restricted to authorized users only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and authentication checks within the uploadCarImages.php endpoint. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform privilege escalation attacks without providing valid credentials, effectively granting them full administrative control over the vehicle management system. The vulnerability enables unauthorized users to execute four distinct malicious operations including privilege escalation, vehicle data modification, vehicle deletion, and image upload capabilities that are normally restricted to authenticated administrators. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture where the authentication layer fails to properly verify user credentials before granting access to sensitive functions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates severe consequences for the automotive management system's integrity and security posture. Unauthenticated attackers can manipulate vehicle records, potentially leading to data corruption, unauthorized vehicle removal from the system, and the ability to upload malicious images that could serve as attack vectors for further exploitation. The ability to escalate privileges means that attackers can gain full administrative control over the entire vehicle database, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all stored vehicle information. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the fundamental security model of the application.
The security implications extend beyond simple data manipulation as this vulnerability aligns with several attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly focusing on privilege escalation and credential access techniques. The vulnerability also maps to CWE-287 which describes improper authentication issues, and CWE-352 which addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities that may be exploited in conjunction with this authentication bypass. Organizations utilizing this software face significant risk of data breaches, operational disruption, and potential regulatory compliance violations. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability enables remote exploitation without requiring any prior authentication credentials, making it highly accessible to threat actors.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of proper authentication checks within the uploadCarImages.php script, enforcement of input validation for all user-supplied data, and enforcement of role-based access controls. Organizations must also implement network segmentation to limit access to administrative endpoints, deploy web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests, and conduct comprehensive security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. Regular security updates and patches should be applied immediately upon availability, while access logs should be monitored for unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of implementing proper authentication mechanisms and following secure coding practices to prevent similar issues in future software development cycles.