Authorization Bypass in Food Waste Management System

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a vertical privilege escalation in the food-waste-management-system. It allows any registered user to access admin panel functions due to improper session validation. The system only checks if a session name exists to grant access, which is set the same for all users during login. This flaw lets regular users silently gain admin privileges without proper authorization checks.

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Detection Guidance

Check for unauthorized admin panel access by reviewing session handling in admin.php. Look for any user with $_SESSION['name'] set but missing proper role validation. Inspect network traffic for requests to admin endpoints from non-admin users.

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Impact Analysis

If you use this system, an attacker could register as a normal user and escalate their privileges to admin level. This would let them view sensitive data like donation tables, user feedback, and manipulate the database. They could also assign deliveries and potentially perform unauthorized actions across multiple endpoints.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability likely violates compliance requirements for data protection standards like GDPR and HIPAA. It enables unauthorized access to sensitive user data and administrative functions, which could lead to data breaches. The lack of proper access controls means the system fails to implement necessary security measures required by these regulations.

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Mitigation Strategies

Implement role-based session handling by adding $_SESSION['role'] and enforcing strict role checks in all admin and delivery pages. Remove reliance on $_SESSION['name'] alone for access control. Update all affected endpoints to validate user roles before granting access.

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