CVE-2010-2113 in Uniformserver
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in The Uniform Server 5.6.5 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that change passwords via (1) apsetup.php, (2) psetup.php, (3) sslpsetup.php, or (4) mqsetup.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2113 represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness affecting The Uniform Server version 5.6.5, a popular web server distribution for Windows systems. This flaw resides in the administrative interfaces of the server software, specifically within four key configuration scripts that handle sensitive operations. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the affected pages, making it possible for malicious actors to exploit the authentication sessions of administrators without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental principle that web applications should verify the origin of requests to prevent unauthorized actions. In this case, the four vulnerable files apsetup.php, psetup.php, sslpsetup.php, and mqsetup.php fail to implement anti-CSRF tokens or referer validation checks that would normally ensure requests originate from legitimate administrative interfaces. When an authenticated administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a compromised link, the attacker can craft requests that automatically execute administrative functions such as password changes without requiring the administrator's credentials or explicit consent. This represents a classic CSRF attack vector where the browser automatically includes session cookies with requests, allowing the malicious site to impersonate the authenticated user.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with direct access to administrative functions within the Uniform Server environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could change administrator passwords, potentially gaining complete control over the web server configuration and the applications hosted on it. The implications extend beyond simple credential theft since password changes would effectively lock out legitimate administrators while granting unauthorized access to the attacker. This vulnerability particularly affects systems where the Uniform Server is used for hosting sensitive applications or where administrative access is required for configuration changes, making it a prime target for attackers seeking persistent access to web infrastructure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1566.001 for initial access through valid accounts, and T1078 for legitimate credentials use. The attack chain typically involves phishing or social engineering to get administrators to visit malicious sites, followed by automatic execution of administrative functions. Organizations using The Uniform Server 5.6.5 should implement immediate mitigations including the addition of anti-CSRF tokens to all administrative forms, implementation of referer header validation, and ensuring that all administrative interfaces require explicit user confirmation for sensitive operations. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring for unusual administrative activity can help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of implementing proper session management and request validation in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions, as these are prime targets for attackers seeking to establish persistent access to systems.