Improper Deletion of Orphaned Data: A Critical Security Vulnerability

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When a system fails to properly delete orphaned data after account removal, it can lead to unauthorized access, data leaks, and security breaches. This vulnerability, known as Improper Deletion of Orphaned Data, often occurs in web applications with folder or file creation features.

How to Exploit and Verify the Vulnerability

Step-by-Step Testing Methodology

1. Identify Folder Creation Feature

  • Check if the domain allows folder/file creation.
  • Use Burp Suite to intercept requests during folder creation.

2. Check for Folder ID or Unique Number

  • If the folder has an ID (e.g., 20034), proceed with testing.
  • If no ID is present, the vulnerability may not apply.

3. Test Rate Limiting

  • Attempt to create multiple folders rapidly.
  • If no rate limit exists, severity increases.

4. Verify Orphaned Data

  • Create Account A, make a folder (ID: 20034).
  • Delete Account A.
  • Create Account B, make a new folder.
  • If the new folder ID follows sequentially (e.g., 20035), orphaned data likely exists.

Impact

  • Unauthorized Access: Previous user data may still be accessible.
  • Data Leakage: Sensitive files may remain on the server.
  • Privilege Escalation: Attackers could restore deleted accounts’ data.

You Should Know: Essential Commands & Tools

Linux Commands for Forensic Analysis

 Find orphaned files owned by deleted users 
find / -nouser -print

Check folder permissions 
ls -la /path/to/folders

Monitor folder creation in real-time 
inotifywait -m /path/to/target/dir -e create

Windows Commands for Security Auditing

 List all folders with creation metadata 
Get-ChildItem -Path "C:\Target" -Recurse | Select-Object Name, CreationTime

Check for orphaned SIDs (Security Identifiers) 
wmic useraccount get name,sid

Burp Suite Techniques

  • Intercept POST requests during folder creation.
  • Modify `folderID` to test sequential numbering.
  • Use Repeater to automate mass folder creation.

Automated Testing with Python

import requests

Simulate folder creation without rate limiting 
for i in range(100): 
response = requests.post("https://target.com/create_folder", data={"name": f"test_{i}"}) 
print(f"Folder {i} created: {response.status_code}")

What Undercode Say

This vulnerability highlights poor backend data management. Developers must ensure:
– Proper Data Deletion: Implement cascading deletion for user-associated files.
– Rate Limiting: Prevent brute-force folder creation.
– Randomized IDs: Avoid sequential numbering to hinder enumeration.

Expected Output:

  • A security report confirming orphaned data exposure.
  • Proof-of-concept (PoC) showing unauthorized access to deleted files.

Prediction

As cloud storage grows, Improper Deletion of Orphaned Data will become a top OWASP risk. Automated tools will soon emerge to exploit this at scale.

For further reading:

References:

Reported By: Praveenkumar Praveenarsh – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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