CVE-2007-5828 in Django
Summary
by MITRE
** DISPUTED ** Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the admin panel in Django 0.96 allows remote attackers to change passwords of arbitrary users via a request to admin/auth/user/1/password/. NOTE: this issue has been disputed by Debian, since product documentation includes a recommendation for a CSRF protection module that is included with the product. However, CVE considers this an issue because the default configuration does not use this module.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5828 represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within the Django web framework's administrative interface. This security weakness specifically affects Django version 0.96 and enables remote attackers to manipulate user accounts by exploiting the lack of proper request validation mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests when attackers can craft malicious requests that target the administrative password change endpoint at admin/auth/user/1/password/, potentially allowing them to reset passwords for arbitrary users within the system. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-352 category, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from Django's default administrative panel configuration lacking adequate CSRF protection measures. When users access the admin interface to modify user credentials, the application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session. Attackers can exploit this by creating malicious web pages or embedding crafted requests that automatically submit password change forms to the target system, effectively bypassing authentication mechanisms and gaining unauthorized access to user accounts. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's security model where session validation and request authenticity verification are insufficiently implemented.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple password manipulation, as it represents a critical escalation path for attackers seeking unauthorized access to administrative functions. Successful exploitation allows threat actors to compromise user accounts and potentially gain deeper access to system resources, depending on the privileges associated with those accounts. This weakness can be particularly damaging in environments where administrative access is required for system maintenance or where user accounts contain sensitive data or system privileges. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it from any location without requiring physical access to the system, making it a significant concern for web applications deployed in production environments.
Organizations utilizing Django 0.96 should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including enabling the built-in CSRF protection module that Debian recommends for the product. The recommended approach involves configuring the application to validate CSRF tokens for all administrative requests, ensuring that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session context. Security teams should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as rate limiting for authentication attempts, monitoring for unusual administrative activity, and ensuring that all users have strong authentication mechanisms in place. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential access through social engineering and unauthorized access methods, highlighting the importance of proper session management and request validation in preventing such attacks.