CVE-2008-6480 in Datalife Engine
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in engine/modules/imagepreview.php in Datalife Engine 6.7 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that use a modified image parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2017
The CVE-2008-6480 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Datalife Engine 6.7 content management system. This vulnerability exists in the engine/modules/imagepreview.php component and enables remote attackers to manipulate authentication sessions by crafting malicious requests that leverage a modified image parameter. The flaw fundamentally undermines the web application's ability to distinguish between legitimate user requests and maliciously forged requests originating from unauthorized sources. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the lack of proper authentication verification mechanisms within the image preview functionality, allowing attackers to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or proper session validation within the imagepreview.php module. When users navigate to pages that utilize the image preview functionality, the application fails to implement adequate protection mechanisms such as one-time use tokens or referer header validation. This creates a scenario where an attacker can construct a malicious web page or email attachment that, when viewed by an authenticated user, automatically triggers requests to the vulnerable Datalife Engine application. The modified image parameter serves as the vehicle for executing unauthorized operations, potentially allowing attackers to perform actions such as modifying content, accessing restricted areas, or manipulating user data without proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it provides attackers with persistent access to authenticated user sessions within the Datalife Engine environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute a range of malicious activities including unauthorized content modification, user account takeovers, or privilege escalation within the CMS. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no special privileges to exploit and can be delivered through simple web-based attacks. The affected system remains vulnerable as long as the application continues to operate without proper CSRF protection mechanisms, making it a persistent threat that could allow attackers to maintain long-term access to compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-6480 should focus on implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms within the Datalife Engine application. The primary solution involves incorporating anti-CSRF tokens into all state-changing requests, particularly those involving the image preview functionality. These tokens should be generated per-user session and validated server-side to ensure that requests originate from legitimate user interactions. Additionally, implementing proper referer header validation and origin checking can provide additional layers of protection against unauthorized requests. Organizations should also consider updating to patched versions of Datalife Engine where available, as this vulnerability represents a well-known flaw that has been addressed in subsequent releases. The implementation of these protections aligns with established security practices outlined in CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities, and supports the broader ATT&CK framework's mitigation strategies for web application attacks. Regular security audits and input validation should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the application.