CVE-2011-4837 in HomeSeer HS2
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in /ctrl in the web interface in HomeSeer HS2 2.5.0.20 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of admins for requests that execute arbitrary programs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2025
The CVE-2011-4837 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in HomeSeer HS2 version 2.5.0.20 within its web interface control module. This vulnerability specifically affects the /ctrl endpoint and enables remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanism of administrators, thereby gaining unauthorized access to execute arbitrary programs on the affected system. The flaw resides in the web interface's insufficient validation of cross-origin requests, which creates a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate authenticated sessions.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or mechanisms within the HomeSeer HS2 web interface. When administrators interact with the system through the /ctrl endpoint, the application fails to verify that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same origin. This omission allows attackers to craft malicious web pages or exploit existing vulnerabilities in other applications to submit forged requests that appear to come from authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface, making it particularly dangerous as it could enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the host system with administrative privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary programs on the compromised system. This represents a severe escalation from typical CSRF attacks that might only result in data modification or unauthorized actions. The ability to execute arbitrary programs means that attackers could potentially install malware, modify system configurations, access sensitive data, or even establish persistent backdoors within the HomeSeer environment. Given that HomeSeer systems are often deployed in home automation and security contexts, this vulnerability could compromise entire home networks and security infrastructures.
Organizations and individuals utilizing HomeSeer HS2 version 2.5.0.20 should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves implementing proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms that are generated per session and validated on each request to the /ctrl endpoint. Additionally, implementing strict origin validation and using the SameSite cookie attributes can provide additional layers of protection against cross-site request forgery attacks. Security practitioners should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the web interface to untrusted networks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and could be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for the initial compromise through malicious web content.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing robust authentication and authorization mechanisms within web applications, particularly those managing sensitive systems or executing privileged operations. The flaw highlights the necessity of following secure coding practices that include proper input validation, session management, and anti-CSRF protections. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities and ensure that all administrative interfaces properly validate request origins and implement appropriate security controls to prevent unauthorized program execution.