CVE-2008-3262 in Claroline
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Claroline before 1.8.10 allows remote attackers to change passwords, related to lack of a requirement for the previous password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2018
The CVE-2008-3262 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the Claroline learning management system prior to version 1.8.10. This vulnerability specifically targets the password change functionality within the application, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this educational platform. The flaw stems from the application's failure to implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to exploit the system through crafted web requests that appear legitimate to the victim's browser.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the absence of proper validation for the previous password field during password modification operations. In a properly secured system, when a user attempts to change their password, the application should require the current password as confirmation before accepting any new password submission. However, Claroline's implementation failed to enforce this critical security check, making it possible for attackers to construct malicious requests that could modify user accounts without proper authentication. This weakness falls under the CWE-352 category of Cross-Site Request Forgery, specifically manifesting as a lack of proper anti-CSRF token validation or authentication verification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple password changes, as it fundamentally compromises user account integrity within the Claroline environment. Attackers could potentially leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, manipulate educational content, or disrupt the learning management system's functionality. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that malicious actors do not need physical access to the system or local network privileges to carry out attacks. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in educational environments where multiple users access the system simultaneously, as a single compromised session could provide attackers with access to sensitive student information or administrative controls.
Organizations using vulnerable versions of Claroline face substantial risks including unauthorized account takeovers, data breaches, and potential compliance violations under various privacy regulations. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in the complete compromise of user credentials, allowing attackers to maintain persistent access to educational platforms and potentially access sensitive academic records. Security professionals should note that this flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for credential access through social engineering, as attackers could craft convincing phishing campaigns that leverage this CSRF vulnerability to modify user passwords without detection.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of the patched Claroline version 1.8.10 or later, which implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms and requires previous password validation during account modification processes. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication, enhanced session management, and regular security audits to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the educational platform. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential CSRF weaknesses within their web applications and ensure proper implementation of anti-CSRF tokens throughout all user interaction points.