CVE-2011-0643 in PHP Link Directory
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in admin/conf_users_edit.php in PHP Link Directory (phpLD) 4.1.0 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that add an administrator via the N action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2025
The CVE-2011-0643 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the PHP Link Directory 4.1.0 administrative interface. This vulnerability specifically targets the admin/conf_users_edit.php script and enables malicious actors to exploit the authentication mechanism of administrators through carefully crafted requests. The flaw operates by allowing remote attackers to manipulate the N action parameter to add new administrator accounts without proper authorization, effectively compromising the entire administrative system.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-352 category of Cross-Site Request Forgery, which is classified as a well-known web application security weakness that occurs when a web application fails to verify that requests originate from legitimate sources. The attack vector exploits the lack of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the phpLD administration panel, making it particularly dangerous as it operates entirely within the context of authenticated administrative sessions. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture to validate the authenticity of administrative actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted for organizations utilizing PHP Link Directory 4.1.0. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability can gain unauthorized administrative access to the web application, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Once an attacker has added a new administrator account, they can modify or delete content, access sensitive data, alter user permissions, and potentially use the compromised administrative session to launch further attacks against the network infrastructure. The vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor for attackers to establish persistent access within the administrative environment.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to privilege escalation and credential access. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform unauthorized administrative actions that would normally require legitimate authentication credentials, effectively bypassing traditional authentication mechanisms. The attack typically involves crafting malicious web pages or emails that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable phpLD administration interface. This approach demonstrates how CSRF vulnerabilities can be weaponized to achieve unauthorized access without requiring direct authentication credentials.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-0643 should prioritize immediate implementation of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the application's administrative interface. Organizations should ensure that all administrative actions require unique, unpredictable tokens that are validated on each request to prevent unauthorized execution of administrative functions. The fix should implement strict session validation and ensure that all administrative operations are protected against cross-site request forgery attacks. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding practices will help prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the broader application. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as two-factor authentication and session management improvements to further protect administrative interfaces from unauthorized access attempts.