CVE-2012-10010 in Contact Form
Summary
by MITRE • 04/09/2023
A vulnerability was found in BestWebSoft Contact Form 3.21. It has been classified as problematic. This affects the function cntctfrm_settings_page of the file contact_form.php. The manipulation leads to cross-site request forgery. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. Upgrading to version 3.22 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is 8398d96ff0fe45ec9267d7259961c2ef89ed8005. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier VDB-225321 was assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-10010 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the BestWebSoft Contact Form plugin version 3.21. This security weakness resides in the cntctfrm_settings_page function located within the contact_form.php file, demonstrating how seemingly benign administrative interfaces can become attack vectors when proper security controls are absent. The vulnerability's classification as problematic indicates that it poses significant risks to web applications utilizing this plugin, particularly in environments where multiple users have access to administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper validation mechanisms within the plugin's settings page functionality. When users navigate to the contact form settings page, the application fails to implement anti-CSRF tokens or other protective measures that would normally verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrators. This allows attackers to craft malicious requests that can be executed on behalf of authenticated users, potentially enabling unauthorized modifications to form configurations, data handling settings, or other critical administrative parameters without the user's knowledge or consent.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it creates opportunities for attackers to establish persistent access patterns within compromised systems. Remote exploitation capabilities mean that threat actors can initiate attacks from any location with internet connectivity, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for web applications that host sensitive contact form data. The attack surface becomes significantly broader when considering that contact forms often collect personal information, business data, or other sensitive details that could be compromised through unauthorized configuration changes.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a clear example of CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery conditions in web applications. The absence of proper request validation mechanisms aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which describes social engineering attacks that leverage web-based vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access. Organizations utilizing this plugin face potential risks including data exfiltration, configuration tampering, and possible escalation to more severe attack vectors such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised networks. The recommended mitigation strategy of upgrading to version 3.22 represents a straightforward remediation approach that addresses the core issue through proper implementation of CSRF protection mechanisms.
The patch identified by the hash 8398d96ff0fe45ec9267d7259961c2ef89ed8005 specifically targets the missing validation controls within the cntctfrm_settings_page function, implementing proper token-based authentication that would prevent unauthorized requests from being processed. This upgrade process should be prioritized across all affected installations to eliminate the attack vector and restore proper security controls. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of other plugin components to identify similar vulnerabilities that might exist within the broader application ecosystem, particularly focusing on administrative interfaces that handle user data modifications or system configuration changes.