CVE-2012-6518 in DiY-CMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in mod.php in DiY-CMS 1.0 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that create a poll via an add action to the poll module.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2025
The CVE-2012-6518 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the DiY-CMS 1.0 content management system. This vulnerability specifically targets the mod.php file within the poll module, creating a dangerous attack vector that enables remote adversaries to manipulate administrative sessions. The flaw occurs when administrators perform actions related to poll creation, making it particularly concerning for systems where administrative privileges are frequently used. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms in the application's request handling process, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the CMS.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of the add action within the poll module's mod.php script. When an administrator accesses the poll creation functionality, the application fails to validate the authenticity of the request origin or implement proper token-based verification. This absence of request validation creates a scenario where a malicious actor can construct a forged request that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, performs unauthorized poll creation operations. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative interface, making it a significant concern for systems where CMS administrators have elevated privileges and can modify system content.
Operationally, this CSRF vulnerability poses a substantial risk to DiY-CMS installations as it enables attackers to perform administrative actions without proper authorization. The impact extends beyond simple poll creation to potentially allow attackers to manipulate the CMS configuration, modify existing polls, or even create malicious content that could compromise the entire website. The attack requires minimal technical expertise since it leverages the existing administrative session, making it particularly dangerous for environments where administrators frequently access the CMS from potentially unsecured networks or devices. The vulnerability essentially allows for privilege escalation through session hijacking techniques that exploit the trust relationship between the CMS and its authenticated users.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the DiY-CMS application. The most effective approach involves implementing unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that must be validated before processing any administrative actions. These tokens should be generated server-side, embedded within forms, and verified upon submission to ensure that requests originate from legitimate user interactions. Additionally, implementing proper request origin validation and using the SameSite cookie attributes can provide additional layers of protection. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious CSRF attack patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's credential access tactics. Regular security audits and input validation improvements should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future releases of the CMS.