CVE-2007-1638 in PHPprojekt
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the check_csrftoken function in lib/lib.inc.php in PHProjekt 5.2.0, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allow remote attackers to perform unauthorized actions as an arbitrary user via the (1) Projects, (2) Contacts, (3) Helpdesk, (4) Notes, (5) Search, (6) Mail, or (7) Filemanager module; the (9) summary page; or unspecified other files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-1638 represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness in PHProjekt version 5.2.0 that exploits the absence of proper token validation mechanisms within the check_csrftoken function located in lib/lib.inc.php. This flaw specifically manifests when the PHP configuration parameter magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, creating an environment where malicious actors can manipulate web requests to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability affects multiple core modules including Projects, Contacts, Helpdesk, Notes, Search, Mail, and Filemanager, as well as the summary page and other unspecified files within the application's framework.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the inadequate implementation of anti-CSRF token validation within the application's authentication and authorization layers. When magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, the application fails to properly sanitize user input, creating a pathway for attackers to craft malicious requests that bypass the token verification mechanism. The check_csrftoken function, which should validate that requests originate from legitimate sources within the application, does not adequately enforce token consistency across different modules, allowing attackers to leverage the trust relationship between authenticated users and the application's interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote attackers to perform arbitrary actions with the privileges of any authenticated user within the PHProjekt system. An attacker could potentially modify project data, manipulate contact information, escalate helpdesk tickets, alter notes, access mail systems, manage files, or alter summary page content without the victim's knowledge or consent. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security model, as it allows attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the user's browser and the web application, effectively enabling account takeover scenarios and unauthorized data manipulation across multiple functional areas of the system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms that are consistently enforced across all application modules and pages. The implementation should follow established security guidelines including the use of unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that are validated on every state-changing request. Organizations should ensure that the magic_quotes_gpc directive is properly configured or that adequate input sanitization is implemented at the application level to prevent exploitation. Additionally, the application should be upgraded to a patched version of PHProjekt that addresses this specific vulnerability, as the original version contains fundamental security flaws that cannot be adequately mitigated through configuration changes alone. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and proper authorization enforcement as outlined in various security frameworks including the MITRE ATT&CK framework's web application attack patterns.