CVE-2006-6741 in MKPortal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in urlobox in MKPortal allows remote attackers to delete arbitrary messages as an administrator via a delete operation in an img BBcode tag.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2018
The CVE-2006-6741 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the urlobox component of MKPortal, a popular content management system. This vulnerability specifically targets the BBcode image tag processing functionality, creating a dangerous attack vector that allows remote adversaries to execute administrative actions without proper authentication. The flaw stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the message deletion process, enabling attackers to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the target system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the administrative level, granting attackers the ability to delete arbitrary messages with full administrative privileges, effectively compromising the integrity and availability of the portal's content management system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the trust relationship between the web application and its users by manipulating the BBcode processing engine. When an attacker constructs a malicious image tag containing a delete operation within the img BBcode context, the system processes this request without verifying the authenticity of the user initiating the action. This occurs because the urlobox functionality does not implement proper session validation or token-based authentication checks before executing administrative operations. The vulnerability manifests through the manipulation of HTTP requests that target the message deletion endpoint, leveraging the fact that the system accepts and processes these requests without requiring additional authentication verification. According to CWE-352, this represents a classic cross-site request forgery vulnerability where the application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple message deletion, as it fundamentally compromises the security model of the MKPortal system. Attackers can leverage this flaw to remove critical content, disrupt user communications, and potentially gain further access to the system through the manipulation of administrative functions. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it from any location without requiring physical access to the system or knowledge of valid user credentials. This creates a significant risk for organizations relying on MKPortal for content management, as unauthorized deletion of messages can lead to data loss, service disruption, and potential compliance violations. The flaw also demonstrates poor input validation practices within the BBcode processing framework, indicating broader security weaknesses in the application's handling of user-submitted content.
Organizations affected by CVE-2006-6741 should implement immediate mitigations including the implementation of anti-CSRF tokens for all administrative operations, particularly those involving message deletion functions. The solution requires modifications to the urlobox component to validate session integrity and ensure that all administrative requests contain proper authentication tokens before execution. Security patches should enforce strict validation of request origins and implement proper access control checks for all operations within the BBcode processing engine. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing with Pretext) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) as attackers may use social engineering to deliver malicious BBcode content. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious BBcode patterns and establish monitoring procedures to identify unauthorized administrative actions. Regular security audits of content management systems should include validation of CSRF protection mechanisms and comprehensive testing of all user-submitted content processing functions to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.