CVE-2008-3938 in OpenDb
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in user_admin.php in Open Media Collectors Database (OpenDb) 1.0.6 allows remote attackers to change arbitrary passwords via an update_password action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2025
The CVE-2008-3938 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Open Media Collectors Database version 1.0.6 web application. This vulnerability exists in the user_admin.php component which handles administrative user management functions, specifically the update_password action that allows password modifications. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate user accounts by tricking authenticated users into executing unauthorized password change operations through maliciously crafted web requests. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-352 category of Cross-Site Request Forgery, which is classified as a serious web application security weakness that undermines the integrity of user sessions and authentication mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper request validation and anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the OpenDb application's administrative interface. When administrators perform password updates through the user_admin.php script, the application fails to verify the authenticity of the request source or validate that the request originates from a legitimate administrative session. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious web pages or embedding malicious links that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable update_password endpoint, thereby allowing unauthorized password changes without proper authorization. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges as it targets the administrative functionality that should only be accessible to authorized users with proper authentication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it directly compromises user account security and potentially enables full administrative control over the OpenDb system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can change any user's password, including administrator accounts, effectively gaining unauthorized access to the entire database management system. This creates a pathway for data theft, system compromise, and unauthorized modifications to the media collection database. The vulnerability also undermines the trust model of the application, as legitimate users may unknowingly execute malicious requests while browsing compromised websites, leading to potential data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive media collection information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the OpenDb application. The most effective approach involves incorporating unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that must be validated before processing any administrative password change requests. This aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1548.003 which emphasizes the importance of validating user requests and implementing proper access controls. Additionally, the application should enforce strict referer header validation and implement proper session management controls to ensure that all administrative actions originate from legitimate sources within the application itself. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting and monitoring mechanisms to detect suspicious administrative activity patterns that may indicate CSRF attacks. The vulnerability highlights the critical need for input validation and request authenticity verification in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive user data and administrative functions.