CVE-2009-4898 in TWiki
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in TWiki before 4.3.2 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that update pages, as demonstrated by a URL for a save script in the ACTION attribute of a FORM element, in conjunction with a call to the submit method in the onload attribute of a BODY element. NOTE: this issue exists because of an insufficient fix for CVE-2009-1339.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/07/2019
The CVE-2009-4898 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in TWiki versions prior to 4.3.2, demonstrating how inadequate security measures can leave web applications susceptible to malicious exploitation. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanisms of TWiki, allowing remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions and execute unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. The flaw operates by leveraging the trust relationship between the web application and its users, enabling attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability involves the manipulation of HTML form elements to redirect user interactions without their knowledge or consent. Attackers can construct malicious web pages containing a form element with an ACTION attribute pointing to TWiki's save script, combined with a BODY element that automatically invokes the submit method through its onload attribute. This technique exploits the browser's automatic form submission behavior, causing unsuspecting users to execute unauthorized page update operations when they visit malicious websites. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in TWiki's CSRF protection mechanisms, as the application fails to properly validate the origin of requests that modify page content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it allows attackers to hijack user sessions and perform arbitrary modifications to TWiki content. When users navigate to compromised web pages, their browsers automatically submit forms to TWiki's administrative endpoints, potentially enabling attackers to modify wiki pages, alter user permissions, or even inject malicious content into the wiki environment. This represents a severe security risk for collaborative environments where TWiki serves as a knowledge management platform, as unauthorized modifications could compromise the integrity of critical documentation and potentially provide attackers with persistent access to the system.
The vulnerability stems from an insufficient remediation of the earlier CVE-2009-1339 issue, highlighting the importance of comprehensive security fixes and proper validation of security patches. This demonstrates how partial or inadequate fixes can leave systems vulnerable to similar attack vectors, particularly when authentication tokens or request validation mechanisms are not properly implemented. The flaw aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities as a critical security weakness in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving session hijacking and privilege escalation through web application exploitation, representing a significant threat to the confidentiality and integrity of collaborative platforms.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading TWiki to version 4.3.2 or later, which implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms including anti-CSRF tokens and request origin validation. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as Content Security Policy headers, proper session management, and regular security assessments of web applications. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of thorough security testing and validation of security patches, particularly in collaborative environments where multiple users interact with shared resources. Security teams should conduct regular audits of web application frameworks to ensure that CSRF protection mechanisms are properly implemented and maintained across all application components.