CVE-2004-2364 in PHPX
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in PHPX 3.0 through 3.2.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via URLs that are automatically executed on behalf of the administrator, as demonstrated using (1) admin/page.php, (2) admin/news.php, (3) admin/user.php, (4) admin/images.php, (5) admin/page.php, or (6) admin/forums.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The CVE-2004-2364 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting PHPX versions 3.0 through 3.2.6, classified under CWE-352 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities. This security weakness allows remote attackers to manipulate authenticated users into executing unintended commands on a web application without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically targets administrative functions within the PHPX content management system, making it particularly dangerous as it could enable attackers to gain elevated privileges and compromise entire web applications.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of URLs that are automatically executed on behalf of administrators. Attackers can craft malicious links or pages that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, trigger administrative actions without requiring any user interaction beyond the initial click. The vulnerability affects multiple administrative endpoints including admin/page.php, admin/news.php, admin/user.php, admin/images.php, and admin/forums.php, demonstrating a systemic flaw in the application's request validation mechanisms. These URLs lack proper anti-CSRF tokens or other authentication verification mechanisms that would ensure requests originate from legitimate sources within the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it provides attackers with the potential to execute arbitrary commands on the target system. When an administrator clicks on a maliciously crafted URL, the application processes the request as if it came from a legitimate administrative session, potentially allowing attackers to modify content, manage users, upload malicious files, or perform other administrative functions. This vulnerability essentially allows for complete compromise of the administrative interface, which serves as the primary attack vector for unauthorized access to sensitive system operations and data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms such as the use of unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that are validated on every administrative request. The application should enforce strict origin validation and implement proper session management controls to ensure that requests are genuinely initiated by authenticated users. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through legitimate administrative access points, emphasizing the critical need for proper authentication validation in administrative interfaces. The remediation process requires immediate patching of affected PHPX versions and implementation of comprehensive CSRF protection measures throughout the application's administrative sections.