CVE-2013-0299 in ownCloud
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in ownCloud before 4.0.12 and 4.5.x before 4.5.7 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of users for requests that (1) change the timezone for the user via the lat and lng parameters to apps/calendar/ajax/settings/guesstimezone.php, (2) disable or enable the automatic timezone detection via the timezonedetection parameter to apps/calendar/ajax/settings/timezonedetection.php, (3) import user accounts via the admin_export parameter to apps/admin_migrate/settings.php, (4) overwrite user files via the operation parameter to apps/user_migrate/ajax/export.php, or (5) change the authentication server URL via unspecified vectors to apps/user_ldap/settings.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-0299 represents a critical cross-site request forgery issue affecting ownCloud versions prior to 4.0.12 and 4.5.x versions before 4.5.7. This CSRF flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate user sessions and execute unauthorized actions by tricking authenticated users into performing operations they did not intend to authorize. The vulnerability specifically targets several administrative and configuration endpoints within the ownCloud platform, creating multiple attack vectors that could lead to significant security compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the targeted PHP scripts. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or emails that, when visited by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable ownCloud endpoints. The affected parameters include lat and lng for timezone settings, timezonedetection for automatic timezone detection, admin_export for user account import operations, operation for file overwriting, and unspecified parameters for LDAP authentication server configuration. These parameters lack proper validation and anti-CSRF token implementation, making them susceptible to unauthorized manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it allows attackers to fundamentally alter user configurations and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. The timezone modification capabilities could be used to confuse users or create false timestamps in calendar applications, while the user account import functionality could enable attackers to inject malicious users or modify existing accounts. The file overwriting operations pose a direct threat to data integrity and availability, potentially allowing complete file replacement or deletion. Additionally, the LDAP authentication server URL modification could redirect users to malicious authentication servers, enabling credential theft or man-in-the-middle attacks.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The attack pattern follows typical CSRF methodologies documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of "T1566 - Credential Access" and "T1078 - Valid Accounts" where unauthorized access is achieved through manipulation of authenticated sessions. Organizations using vulnerable versions of ownCloud face significant risk of unauthorized administrative actions, data compromise, and potential full system takeover through exploitation of these CSRF vectors.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate upgrade to patched versions of ownCloud, specifically versions 4.0.12 and 4.5.7 or later. Administrators should also implement additional security measures including proper CSRF token validation, request origin checking, and regular security audits of web applications. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth, while user education regarding suspicious links and attachments remains crucial for overall security posture. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper session management and request validation mechanisms in web applications to prevent unauthorized operations.