#VU43602 Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls in MediaWiki - CVE-2012-1581

Vulnerability identifier: #VU43602

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv4.0: 2.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Green]

CVE-ID: CVE-2012-1581

CWE-ID: CWE-264

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
MediaWiki
Web applications / CMS

Vendor: MediaWiki.org

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote non-authenticated attacker to manipulate data.

MediaWiki 1.17.x before 1.17.3 and 1.18.x before 1.18.2 uses weak random numbers for password reset tokens, which makes it easier for remote attackers to change the passwords of arbitrary users.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

MediaWiki: 1.17 - 1.18.1

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External links
https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-announce/2012-March/000109.html
https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/mediawiki-announce/2012-March/000110.html
https://secunia.com/advisories/48504
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2012/03/22/9
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2012/03/24/1
https://www.securityfocus.com/bid/52689
https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=35078
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/78910

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.