CVE-2011-0748 in PHPList
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in phpList before 2.10.13 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that (1) add or (2) edit administrator accounts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0748 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in the phpList email management system prior to version 2.10.13. This vulnerability resides within the web application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, specifically targeting the administrative interface where privileged users manage system accounts. The flaw enables malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and its authenticated administrators, creating a pathway for unauthorized account manipulation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for credential access through web application attacks.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper validation mechanisms for administrative requests within the phpList application. When administrators perform actions such as adding new administrator accounts or modifying existing administrator credentials, the application fails to verify the authenticity of the request source. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or email content that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submits requests to the phpList administration interface. These forged requests appear legitimate to the application because they contain valid session tokens and authentication cookies, allowing the attacker to execute administrative actions without possessing the actual credentials. The vulnerability specifically impacts two critical administrative functions, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on phpList for email communications and user management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account manipulation to encompass potential complete system compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability can gain persistent administrative access to the phpList system, enabling them to add new administrator accounts, modify existing user permissions, and potentially exfiltrate sensitive email data or user information. This access can lead to unauthorized email campaigns, data breaches, and system-wide compromise of the email infrastructure. Organizations using phpList for critical communications or those handling sensitive data are particularly vulnerable, as the attack can remain undetected while the attacker maintains administrative privileges. The vulnerability also impacts the integrity and availability of the email service, as attackers could potentially disable accounts or modify system configurations to disrupt legitimate operations.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to phpList version 2.10.13 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as this release includes proper CSRF protection mechanisms. The implementation of anti-CSRF tokens within administrative forms and requests provides the necessary validation to prevent unauthorized actions. Security teams should also implement additional monitoring of administrative account activities and review access logs for suspicious patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper session management and request validation in web applications, aligning with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. Network segmentation and regular security assessments can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to protect against similar vulnerabilities in other web applications.