CVE-2012-4002 in GLPI
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in GLPI-PROJECT GLPI before 0.83.3 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2021
The CVE-2012-4002 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the GLPI project management software ecosystem. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 0.83.3 and enables remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanisms of unsuspecting users through unspecified attack vectors. The GLPI platform, widely used for IT asset management and help desk operations, became susceptible to unauthorized actions performed on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft, as it could potentially allow attackers to execute administrative functions within the compromised system, undermining the integrity of the entire platform.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper validation mechanisms for cross-origin requests within the GLPI application framework. Attackers could craft malicious web pages or emails containing specially crafted requests that would automatically execute against the target GLPI instance when victims visited the malicious content while authenticated. This flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between the web application and the user's browser, making it particularly dangerous as users remain unaware of the unauthorized actions being performed. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations relying on GLPI for their IT management operations. Attackers could potentially perform critical administrative tasks such as creating new user accounts, modifying existing records, deleting important data, or accessing sensitive information stored within the GLPI database. The attack vectors remain unspecified in the CVE description, but typically CSRF attacks in web applications exploit the automatic inclusion of cookies and authentication tokens that browsers send with every request to the target domain, making it possible for malicious requests to appear legitimate to the server.
Organizations utilizing GLPI versions prior to 0.83.3 should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies. The primary recommended approach involves upgrading to version 0.83.3 or later, which includes proper CSRF token validation mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper Content Security Policy headers, utilizing anti-CSRF tokens for all state-changing operations, and ensuring proper session management practices can significantly reduce the risk. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies for web applications, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's web application attack patterns. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their GLPI installations and monitor for any unauthorized activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.