CVE-2011-0535 in Application Framework
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Users module in Zikula before 1.2.5 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that change account privileges via an edit access_permissions action to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2025
The CVE-2011-0535 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Users module of the Zikula content management system. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to 1.2.5 and specifically targets the administrative authentication mechanisms of the platform. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate administrative sessions by crafting malicious requests that appear legitimate to the target system. The vulnerability manifests when an administrator performs an edit access_permissions action through the index.php endpoint, creating a pathway for unauthorized privilege changes that can severely compromise system security.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-forgery token validation within the Users module's administrative functions. When administrators access the edit access_permissions functionality, the system fails to verify that the request originates from a legitimate administrative session rather than a maliciously crafted request. This oversight allows attackers to construct specially formatted requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, can modify user privileges without the administrator's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically targets the index.php endpoint which serves as the primary interface for administrative operations within the Zikula framework, making it a critical attack surface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential complete system compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF flaw can elevate user privileges, grant themselves administrative access, or manipulate existing administrative accounts to gain unauthorized control over the entire Zikula installation. This represents a significant threat to organizations relying on Zikula for content management, as it allows attackers to bypass traditional authentication mechanisms and assume administrative roles. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the administrative level, meaning that successful exploitation can result in data breaches, unauthorized modifications, and complete system takeover.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the patch released in Zikula version 1.2.5, which addresses the missing anti-forgery token validation in the Users module. The mitigation strategy involves ensuring that all administrative actions require proper token verification and that session management is strengthened to prevent unauthorized request execution. Security teams should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious administrative requests, and conduct thorough security audits of all administrative endpoints. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and session management abuse, specifically targeting the T1078 credential access and T1548 privilege escalation tactics. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper input validation and session management controls in web applications to prevent unauthorized administrative access through CSRF attacks.