CVE-2012-4385 in LetoDMS
Summary
by MITRE
letodms 3.3.6 has CSRF via change password
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4385 affects letodms version 3.3.6 and represents a cross-site request forgery flaw that specifically targets the password change functionality. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-352 category, which defines cross-site request forgery as a security weakness that allows an attacker to trick authenticated users into performing actions they did not intend to execute. The flaw exists within the web application's authentication mechanism, where the password change feature does not properly validate the origin of requests or implement adequate anti-CSRF protection measures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper request validation tokens or origin checking mechanisms when processing password change requests. When a user attempts to change their password through the letodms interface, the application accepts the request without verifying that it originated from the legitimate user interface rather than a malicious third-party website. This creates a scenario where an attacker can craft a malicious webpage or email link that, when clicked by an authenticated user, automatically submits a password change request to the vulnerable system. The attacker can specify any new password they desire, effectively compromising the user's account without requiring knowledge of the current password.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account compromise, as it represents a critical weakness in the application's session management and user authentication flow. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to sensitive documents and data stored within the letodms system, potentially leading to data breaches, information disclosure, and unauthorized modifications to document repositories. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction beyond clicking a malicious link, making it an effective social engineering tool. This vulnerability also violates fundamental security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the risk of broken authentication and session management flaws.
Organizations using letodms version 3.3.6 should immediately implement mitigations including the deployment of anti-CSRF tokens for all state-changing operations, particularly authentication-related functions. The recommended approach involves implementing unique, unpredictable tokens that are generated server-side and validated with each request, ensuring that requests originate from legitimate user sessions. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing proper referer header validation and same-site cookie attributes to further strengthen protection against cross-site request forgery attacks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security updates and patch management, as this issue was resolved in subsequent versions of the software. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of all web applications to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities and implement consistent security controls across their entire application portfolio. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1190 technique for exploitation of a remote service, emphasizing the need for proper input validation and request origin verification as defensive measures.