CVE-2024-46097 in TestLink
Summary
by MITRE • 09/27/2024
TestLink 1.9.20 is vulnerable to Incorrect Access Control in the TestPlan editing section. When a new TestPlan is created, an ID with an incremental value is automatically generated. Using the edit function you can change the tplan_id parameter to another ID. The application does not carry out a check on the user's permissions maing it possible to recover the IDs of all the TestPlans (even the administrative ones) and modify them even with minimal privileges.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-46097 affects TestLink version 1.9.20 and represents a critical access control flaw within the TestPlan editing functionality. This issue stems from inadequate permission validation mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to manipulate test plan identifiers and subsequently access or modify administrative test plans. The vulnerability manifests when users can exploit the incremental ID generation mechanism to enumerate and modify test plan records without proper authorization, fundamentally undermining the application's security model.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs in the TestPlan editing section where the application fails to validate whether the authenticated user possesses sufficient privileges to modify a specific test plan. When a new test plan is created, the system automatically assigns an incremental identifier that serves as the primary key for that test plan. However, during the edit operation, the application accepts direct modification of the tplan_id parameter without performing any access control checks. This design flaw enables privilege escalation through simple parameter manipulation, as demonstrated by the ability to change the tplan_id to reference any existing test plan ID regardless of the user's actual permissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass full administrative control over test plan data. An attacker with minimal privileges can enumerate all test plan IDs within the system, potentially exposing sensitive test data and administrative configurations. Once the IDs are discovered, the attacker can modify any test plan, including those designated as administrative, leading to potential data corruption, unauthorized access to sensitive testing environments, and complete compromise of the test management system. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the integrity of the application's access control mechanisms.
The root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems. This weakness specifically manifests as an insufficient access control check that allows unauthorized modification of system resources. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1484.1 Group Policy Modification, as it enables attackers to exploit existing accounts to gain elevated privileges through manipulation of test plan identifiers. The vulnerability also relates to T1566 Phishing and T1595 Network Denial of Service through the potential for information gathering and system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper access control validation within the TestPlan editing functionality. The application must enforce strict authorization checks before allowing any modification of test plan identifiers, ensuring that users can only access or modify test plans for which they have explicit permissions. This includes implementing proper input validation, maintaining audit logs of all test plan modifications, and establishing a robust permission model that prevents unauthorized enumeration and modification of test plan resources. Additionally, the system should implement rate limiting and monitoring to detect suspicious activities related to test plan ID manipulation, while regular security assessments should verify that all access control mechanisms function correctly.