CVE-2022-3754 in Thorsten/phpMyFAQ: Weak Password Requirements in GitHub Repository Prior to Version 3.1.8 - A Comprehensive Overview and Exploit Details

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identification number CVE-2022-3754 refers to a security vulnerability found in the GitHub repository thorsten/phpMyFAQ prior to version 3.1.8. This vulnerability exists due to weak password requirements, allowing attackers to exploit the system and potentially compromise user accounts. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive overlook of the implications of this vulnerability and how it can be addressed and mitigated, as well as some code snippets, references, and exploit details.

Github Repository: thorsten/phpMyFAQ
Original Vulnerability Reference: CVE-2022-3754
Issue Tracker: phpMyFAQ v3.1.8 security release

Description and Vulnerable Code

phpMyFAQ, a popular PHP-based FAQ system, has been found to have weak password requirements in versions prior to 3.1.8. This vulnerability allows attackers to create user accounts with short or commonly-used passwords, making it easier for them to gain unauthorized access to those accounts.

The weak password requirements are a result of a missing minimum length check and lack of complexity requirements in the following function:

// In phpmyfaq/src/phpMyFAQ/User/UserAuth.php

public function checkPasswordStrength($password)
{
    $uppercase = preg_match('@[A-Z]@', $password);
    $lowercase = preg_match('@[a-z]@', $password);
    $number = preg_match('@[-9]@', $password);

    if ($uppercase || $lowercase || $number) {
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}

As seen above, the function only checks if the password has an uppercase or lowercase letter and a digit, without considering the minimum length requirement.

Exploit Details

The weak password requirements allow attackers to exploit the vulnerability by creating accounts with short and easily guessable passwords. This can lead to unauthorized access to user accounts, potentially leading to data leaks and other security breaches.

An attacker creates an account with a weak password, e.g., 'a1'.

2. The attacker then tries to guess other users' passwords using a brute-force or dictionary-based attack since the system is more prone to weak and easily guessable passwords.
3. If the attacker gains access to an account, they could potentially download sensitive information, modify the contents of the FAQ, add or delete users, among other malicious actions.

Mitigation and Updated Code

The developers of phpMyFAQ have addressed this vulnerability in version 3.1.8 by implementing stricter password requirements. Updating to this version or later is highly recommended to prevent attackers from exploiting weak passwords.

The updated code now checks for a minimum password length and incorporates complexity requirements, as shown below:

// In phpmyfaq/src/phpMyFAQ/User/UserAuth.php, after updating to version 3.1.8

public function checkPasswordStrength($password)
{
    $minLength = 8; // Added minimum length requirement
    $uppercase = preg_match('@[A-Z]@', $password);
    $lowercase = preg_match('@[a-z]@', $password);
    $number = preg_match('@[-9]@', $password);

    if (strlen($password) < $minLength) {
        return false; // Fail on short passwords
    }

    if ($uppercase && $lowercase && $number) {
        return true;
    }

    return false;
}

Conclusion

CVE-2022-3754 exposed a significant vulnerability in phpMyFAQ that allowed attackers to exploit weak password requirements. It is crucial for users of this platform to update their installations to version 3.1.8 or later to incorporate the security fixes introduced by the developers. By doing so, users can prevent attackers from exploiting this vulnerability and protect their data and systems from unauthorized access.

Timeline

Published on: 10/29/2022 13:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/31/2022 20:10:00 UTC