CVE-2008-0472 in Burning Board
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in modcp.php in Woltlab Burning Board (wBB) 2.3.6 PL2 allows remote attackers to delete threads as moderators or administrators via a thread_del action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0472 represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness within the Woltlab Burning Board 2.3.6 PL2 forum software. This flaw exists in the modcp.php file which serves as the moderator control panel interface. The vulnerability specifically enables malicious actors to exploit the lack of proper authentication verification when processing thread deletion requests through the thread_del action. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or emails containing hidden requests that, when visited by authenticated moderators or administrators, will execute unauthorized thread deletion operations without their knowledge or consent.
This CSRF vulnerability operates under CWE-352, which classifies it as a classic cross-site request forgery attack vector. The flaw stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or other validation mechanisms within the modcp.php script when handling administrative actions. When a legitimate user with moderator or administrator privileges accesses a malicious page, the browser automatically submits the thread deletion request to the vulnerable forum application because cookies are automatically included with every request to the same domain. The attack requires no authentication credentials from the attacker as they leverage the existing authenticated session of the victim.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows unauthorized modification of forum content by individuals who do not possess legitimate administrative privileges. Moderators and administrators could have their threads deleted without their awareness, potentially leading to loss of important discussions, user-generated content, or forum organization. This creates a significant risk for forum administrators who may not immediately detect the unauthorized deletions, especially if they are not actively monitoring all forum activities. The vulnerability also undermines the integrity of the forum's administrative controls and could potentially be exploited as part of broader attacks targeting forum functionality.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include implementing proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the modcp.php file before processing any administrative actions. The system must generate unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session and validate these tokens with every request that modifies forum content. Additionally, implementing strict referer header checks and requiring explicit user confirmation for administrative actions can provide additional layers of protection. Organizations should also consider implementing session management best practices including secure cookie attributes, proper session timeout configurations, and regular security audits of forum software components. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers the exploitation of web applications through CSRF attacks and highlights the importance of validating user intent in administrative operations.