CVE-2011-5196 in Open Journal Systems
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in index/manager/fileUpload in Public Knowledge Project Open Journal Systems 2.3.6 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of admistrators for requests that upload PHP files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2024
The CVE-2011-5196 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Public Knowledge Project Open Journal Systems version 2.3.6 and earlier. This vulnerability exists in the index/manager/fileUpload component of the application, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by remote attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access. The flaw specifically allows malicious actors to hijack administrator authentication sessions, enabling them to execute arbitrary file upload operations that can result in complete system compromise. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the file upload functionality, which is a fundamental security control that should prevent unauthorized requests from being executed on behalf of authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of a missing anti-CSRF token validation process within the file upload handler. When administrators navigate to the file upload interface, the application should verify that the request originates from a legitimate authenticated session and contains a valid CSRF token. However, in affected versions, this validation is absent or insufficient, allowing remote attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated administrators. This flaw enables attackers to upload PHP files to the server, potentially leading to remote code execution and full system compromise. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-352, which defines Cross-Site Request Forgery as a security weakness where the application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations utilizing Open Journal Systems. Attackers can leverage this flaw to upload malicious PHP scripts that can execute arbitrary code on the server, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, and complete system takeover. The administrative privilege escalation aspect means that attackers can modify system configurations, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. This vulnerability affects the core functionality of the journal management system, making it particularly dangerous for academic institutions and research organizations that rely on these platforms for managing scholarly publications. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access to the network, making the vulnerability particularly attractive for automated attacks and large-scale exploitation campaigns.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including upgrading to versions of Open Journal Systems that contain proper CSRF token validation and anti-CSRF protections. The recommended approach involves applying security patches released by the Public Knowledge Project, which typically include the implementation of CSRF tokens in all administrative operations, particularly file upload functions. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious file upload attempts, as well as monitoring for unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security configurations should enforce strict file type validation and ensure that uploaded files are stored in non-executable directories. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following the principle of least privilege, where administrative functions are protected by multiple security layers including proper session management, input validation, and access controls. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing comprehensive security controls in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions and file uploads, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's web application exploitation techniques.