CVE-2012-3362 in eXtplorer
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in eXtplorer 2.1 RC3 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that add an administrator account via an adduser admin action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2021
The CVE-2012-3362 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in eXtplorer version 2.1 RC3 and earlier. This vulnerability exists within the web-based file management interface that was widely used for content management and administrative tasks. The flaw specifically targets the authentication mechanism of the application, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust model. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to manipulate administrative sessions through forged requests that appear legitimate to the target system. This particular weakness resides in the application's handling of administrative actions, particularly those related to user account management, where the system fails to properly validate the authenticity of requests originating from authenticated administrators. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the administrative level, providing attackers with elevated privileges that can fundamentally compromise the entire system's security posture. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The attack vector leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its authenticated administrators, making it particularly insidious as it can bypass traditional authentication mechanisms. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in implementing proper request validation and session management protocols that are essential for maintaining application security boundaries. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account manipulation, as it provides attackers with the capability to establish persistent administrative access, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens within the administrative user account creation functionality. When administrators perform actions such as adding new administrator accounts, the eXtplorer application does not require verification of the request source through cryptographic tokens or other validation mechanisms. This allows attackers to craft malicious web pages or email attachments that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable application. The attack typically involves embedding malicious JavaScript or HTML forms within compromised websites or email messages that target the specific administrative endpoints. These forged requests can be executed without the administrator's knowledge or consent, as the browser automatically includes any relevant cookies and authentication tokens that the user has previously established with the target application. The vulnerability is particularly problematic because it operates silently in the background, making detection extremely difficult for system administrators. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1566 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers can leverage the compromised administrative sessions to maintain persistence and escalate privileges. The flaw essentially removes the application's ability to distinguish between legitimate administrative actions initiated by authorized users versus maliciously crafted requests, creating a fundamental breakdown in the application's security controls.
The implications of this vulnerability for organizations using eXtplorer are severe and far-reaching, as it provides attackers with direct pathways to establish persistent administrative access to critical systems. Once an attacker successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability, they can create new administrator accounts, modify existing user permissions, and potentially access sensitive data or system configurations. The attack requires minimal technical expertise to execute, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that may not have robust security monitoring in place. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor security implementation practices that are common in legacy web applications, where developers may not have adequately considered the security implications of administrative functions. Organizations that were using eXtplorer for content management, file sharing, or administrative tasks would have been particularly vulnerable to this type of attack, as the application likely served as a central point of access for critical system resources. The lack of proper CSRF protection in this context means that any authenticated administrator could be targeted, regardless of their physical location or security awareness. System administrators would have difficulty detecting these attacks since they appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions, and the application does not provide adequate logging or monitoring capabilities to identify suspicious activities. This vulnerability underscores the importance of implementing comprehensive security controls, including proper CSRF token implementation, session management, and regular security assessments of web applications. The attack scenario typically involves the attacker sending a specially crafted request to the vulnerable application that, when executed by an administrator, results in the creation of a new administrative account without the administrator's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability's exploitation directly violates fundamental security principles of authentication and authorization, creating a backdoor that can be used for extended periods without detection. Organizations affected by this vulnerability would need to implement immediate remediation measures, including patching the application, implementing additional security controls, and conducting thorough security assessments to identify any potential compromise.