This version of the software was used to provide users with a convenient way to organize, view and share their portfolios. However, a careless oversight in the software’s code allowed attackers to gain administrative privileges by supplying the password “Paas”. This hardcoded password was discovered by Mihail Nistor, a researcher from Romania, during an analysis of the source code of the Exansus website. The hardcoded password was discovered in the file “index.php”, which is located in the “view/layout” folder on the server. An attacker needs only to access this folder with a web browser and supply “Paas” as the password to gain administrator privileges on the web server. An attacker can then use the administrative privileges to install malicious software on the target’s computer.
Conclusion: Why You Should Always Review Software Before Installing It on Your Computer
Clearly, this oversight in the software’s code was a danger to the target’s security. The impact of this vulnerability can be very severe. An attacker could have installed malware on the victim’s computer, stealing private information and intercepting communications without being detected by the victim’s antivirus software. There are many other dangers that could befall a user if they are careless when installing software on their computer.
The lesson to be learned from this is that you should always review software before installing it on your computer. You should also make sure that it is not vulnerable to any form of attack in its current stage of development. It is important to consult with technical experts if you need assistance with determining whether or not software poses a threat to your computer and personal data.
Consequences of a successful attack using this vulnerability
The consequences of the attack can be significant. A successful attack will allow an attacker to install malware on the target computer without requiring physical access. This malicious software can then be used to steal sensitive information, send spam and distribute malware that can cause a denial-of-service attack on the target’s machine.
In addition to installing malware on a user’s computer, an attacker can also gain control over their web server and create a webpage that exploits this vulnerability with a malicious payload. Exansus customers who did not use HTTPS would not be protected from this vulnerability because the website was not using an encrypted protocol.
Attack scenario
The software in question was not designed to be used by unprivileged individuals, who would have been able to view their portfolios only. However, after the password “Paas” was discovered by Mihail Nistor and quickly exploited, thousands of unsuspecting users were exposed to the risk of malware infection.
Conclusion
Patching this vulnerability is a hard task, but it is absolutely necessary. Patching this vulnerability does not mean that all users will be immune, but it does provide users with a layer of protection against the consequences of an attack.
There are numerous vulnerabilities in software that have no consequences, and there are also vulnerabilities that have no consequences until they are exploited. If a vulnerable software program can be patched, then it should be patched immediately.
Timeline
Published on: 03/01/2022 23:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 03/09/2022 16:26:00 UTC