CVE-2011-5197 in Open Harvester Systems
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in index/manager/fileUpload in Public Knowledge Project Open Harvester Systems 2.3.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of admistrators for requests that upload PHP files.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2024
The CVE-2011-5197 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Public Knowledge Project Open Harvester Systems version 2.3.1 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the index/manager/fileUpload endpoint, which serves as a critical administrative function for managing system files. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanism by crafting malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrators, thereby bypassing normal security controls. The vulnerability specifically targets the file upload functionality, which is a high-value attack vector due to its potential for code execution and system compromise.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the file upload process. When administrators access the file upload interface, the system fails to verify that the request originates from the legitimate administrator session rather than a malicious third party. This weakness allows attackers to construct specially crafted HTML forms or JavaScript code that, when executed in an administrator's browser context, automatically submits file upload requests to the vulnerable system. The attack requires no authentication credentials from the attacker, as the system trusts the authenticated administrator session, making it particularly dangerous for administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates a pathway for remote code execution through PHP file uploads. Attackers can upload malicious PHP scripts that, when executed by the web server, provide them with persistent access to the system. This capability allows for complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability affects the core administrative functionality of Open Harvester Systems, which serves as a platform for managing scholarly publishing workflows, making it a particularly attractive target for attackers seeking to compromise academic and research institutions. The impact is further amplified by the fact that the vulnerability affects multiple versions of the software, indicating a long-standing issue that was not properly addressed in the codebase.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the application's authentication and authorization framework. The most effective approach involves integrating unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that must be validated before any privileged operations such as file uploads are processed. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and sanitization for all file upload operations, including MIME type checking and file extension validation. Additionally, access controls should be strengthened through session management best practices, including secure cookie attributes and session timeout mechanisms. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering and T1505.003 for server-side include attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect anomalous file upload activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security updates and patch management processes are essential to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities, as this issue was present in versions up to 2.3.1, indicating that timely remediation is critical for maintaining system integrity.