---------------------------------------------------------- Release date: May 21th 2001 Subject: WebAvail LinkMax2 (ASP) security problem Systems affected: All systems running LinkMax2 ASP script Vendor: http://www.webavail.com ---------------------------------------------------------- 1. problem admin-system.asp of the LinkMax2 script may allow remote users (website visitors) to view the LinkMax2 admin login and password. 2. Method When a user calls passcheck.asp the systems asks for a password. The script stores the entered login and password unencrypted in a client-side cookie. The user is being redirected to admin.asp, which verifies the entered login and password against those stored in the database. If the login and/or password is incorrect, the user is being redirected to passcheck.asp, but the cookie is not destroyed. The script admin-system.asp checks if there is a login and password stored in the cookie, but doesn't verifies it with the one from the database. Since the cookie from passcheck.asp was created but not destroyed the remote user is allowed to access admin-system.asp. This script contains the correct login and password in the source. When the remote user uses this login and password for passcheck.asp, the user can access the admin menu and can modify or delete the current configuration. 3. Solution In all .ASP scripts, replace this code: If Request.Cookies("linkmax2login")("login") = "" AND Request.Cookies("linkmax2login")("pass") = "" then Response.Redirect "passcheck.asp" End If With this: If Request.Cookies("linkmax2login")("login") <> login AND Request.Cookies("linkmax2login")("pass") <> pass then Response.Redirect "passcheck.asp" End If However, the password is still stored in the cookie and could be read by any local user or might be read by using an exploit on the webbrowser. To solve this, change all "Request.Cookies" and "Response.Cookies" with "Session". ---------------------------------------------------------- vertig0 beast@valleyalley.co.uk _____________________________________________________________