CVE-2010-2282 in TomatoCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in TomatoCMS 2.0.6 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that change the administrative password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2025
The CVE-2010-2282 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in TomatoCMS version 2.0.6, a content management system widely used for web publishing and administration. This vulnerability resides within the authentication mechanisms of the platform, specifically targeting the administrative password change functionality. The flaw enables malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and authenticated administrators, potentially allowing unauthorized individuals to assume administrative control of affected systems. The vulnerability's classification as a CSRF issue places it under CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications. The attack vector requires an administrator to be logged into the TomatoCMS administration panel while simultaneously visiting a malicious website or clicking on a crafted link, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently browse untrusted web content. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of administrative operations, as it can be leveraged to silently modify critical system parameters without the administrator's knowledge or consent. The exploitation of this flaw constitutes a significant threat to web application security, as it bypasses traditional authentication mechanisms and undermines the principle of least privilege. Attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions, thereby circumventing the need for credentials or session tokens that should normally be required for password modification operations.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the password change functionality of TomatoCMS 2.0.6. When an administrator attempts to modify their password through the administrative interface, the application should verify that the request originates from a legitimate source by implementing anti-CSRF tokens or similar validation mechanisms. However, the vulnerable version fails to implement this crucial security control, allowing attackers to construct forged HTTP requests that carry out administrative actions on behalf of authenticated users. The flaw operates by leveraging the browser's automatic inclusion of cookies for authenticated sessions, meaning that when a victim visits a malicious site, the browser automatically sends the necessary authentication cookies to the TomatoCMS application, thereby enabling the attack. This specific implementation weakness allows attackers to manipulate administrative functions without requiring knowledge of the current password or other authentication credentials, effectively rendering the authentication mechanism ineffective against this particular class of attack. The vulnerability's impact is further amplified by the fact that password changes are typically high-privilege operations that can completely compromise system access and control, making this flaw particularly attractive to threat actors seeking persistent access to web applications.
The operational consequences of CVE-2010-2282 extend beyond simple unauthorized password changes, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data. Administrators who fall victim to this attack can find their accounts hijacked, potentially allowing attackers to modify content, delete data, install malware, or create backdoor access points within the web application environment. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not need physical access to the target system or network, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals conducting large-scale attacks against multiple web applications. Organizations using TomatoCMS 2.0.6 are particularly vulnerable to coordinated attacks where malicious actors create phishing campaigns or exploit other vulnerabilities to lure administrators into visiting compromised websites. The impact on business operations can be severe, as unauthorized modifications to content management systems can result in data loss, reputational damage, and potential regulatory compliance violations. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the broader ATT&CK framework, specifically under the T1078 technique for Valid Accounts and T1566 for Phishing, as the exploitation typically involves social engineering elements to trick administrators into executing malicious requests. The vulnerability also aligns with T1190 under Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it represents an exploitable weakness in a publicly accessible web application component.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-2282 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to a patched version of TomatoCMS that implements proper anti-CSRF token validation for administrative functions, particularly password modification operations. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as implementing Content Security Policy headers, ensuring proper session management, and deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious cross-site requests. The implementation of anti-CSRF tokens represents the fundamental fix required to address this vulnerability, as these tokens ensure that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same origin as the target application. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential CSRF vulnerabilities within their web applications and implement standardized security testing practices including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing. Organizations should establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle CSRF-related security incidents and consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts to add additional layers of protection. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against multiple attack vectors simultaneously. Regular security training for administrators can also help reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that exploit this vulnerability, as awareness of CSRF threats can significantly improve user behavior and reduce successful exploitation rates.