CVE-2012-1203 in SyndeoCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in starnet/index.php in SyndeoCMS 3.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that add user accounts via a save_user action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2025
The CVE-2012-1203 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the SyndeoCMS content management system version 3.0 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the starnet/index.php component and specifically targets the administrative authentication mechanisms of the platform. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the system's lack of proper CSRF protection measures, allowing them to manipulate administrative sessions and execute unauthorized actions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it directly targets the administrative user account creation functionality, which is a core administrative privilege within the CMS.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms in the save_user action handler within the SyndeoCMS framework. When administrators access the user management interface, the system fails to verify that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions. This absence of session validation creates a pathway for attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated administrators. The vulnerability operates by leveraging the trusted relationship between the administrator's browser session and the CMS application, essentially allowing attackers to hijack the authentication context and perform administrative operations without proper authorization.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes organizations using SyndeoCMS 3.0 or earlier to significant security risks including unauthorized user account creation, potential privilege escalation, and possible data manipulation within the CMS environment. Attackers could create new administrative accounts, modify existing user permissions, or even delete critical content, all while appearing to be legitimate administrators. The implications extend beyond immediate account compromise to potential full system takeover scenarios where attackers establish persistent access through newly created administrative accounts. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the integrity of the authentication system.
The vulnerability maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. This classification indicates that the flaw represents a fundamental failure in the application's security controls, particularly in session management and request validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1548.002 (Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism) and T1078.002 (Valid Accounts: Domain Accounts) as attackers can leverage legitimate administrative sessions to perform unauthorized actions. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the addition of CSRF tokens to all administrative actions, implementing proper session management controls, and ensuring that all administrative functions require explicit validation of user identity. Additionally, upgrading to newer versions of SyndeoCMS that address this vulnerability should be prioritized as the most effective long-term solution.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing comprehensive CSRF protection mechanisms throughout web applications. Modern security frameworks emphasize the necessity of validating all administrative requests through robust token-based systems that prevent unauthorized request forwarding. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their CMS platforms to identify similar vulnerabilities and implement proper input validation and session integrity controls to prevent similar issues from occurring in other components of their web infrastructure.