CVE-2013-0489 in Lotus Domino
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in webadmin.nsf (aka the Web Administrator client) in IBM Domino 8.5.x allows remote authenticated users to hijack the authentication of administrators.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2021
The CVE-2013-0489 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM Domino's web administration interface, specifically affecting versions 8.5.x. This vulnerability exists in the webadmin.nsf database component, which serves as the Web Administrator client for managing Domino server configurations through a web-based interface. The flaw enables authenticated attackers to exploit the administrative authentication mechanism by crafting malicious requests that can be executed without the administrator's knowledge or consent, effectively allowing unauthorized privilege escalation and potential system compromise. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication token handling within the Domino web administration console, where session management fails to properly validate the origin of requests.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs when an authenticated administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link that contains hidden requests to the Domino administration interface. The webadmin.nsf component does not adequately verify that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions, allowing attackers to perform administrative actions such as modifying server settings, creating new users, changing passwords, or accessing restricted administrative functions. This flaw stems from insufficient anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the Domino web administration framework, where the system fails to properly correlate incoming requests with valid administrative sessions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the administrative level, potentially granting attackers full control over Domino server configurations and sensitive data management functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can lead to complete system compromise when combined with other attack vectors. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can manipulate Domino server configurations, potentially disabling security features, creating backdoor accounts, or redirecting traffic to malicious destinations. The administrative access gained through this CSRF attack can also enable further reconnaissance activities, including enumeration of users, databases, and system resources, as well as the ability to modify security policies and access controls. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Domino server environments, particularly affecting organizations that rely on Domino for critical business applications and email services.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates for IBM Domino 8.5.x versions. The recommended approach involves enabling proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the Domino web administration interface, which may include implementing robust token validation, session management improvements, and origin validation checks. Security administrators should also consider implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious administrative requests, while ensuring that administrative interfaces are not directly accessible from untrusted networks. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their Domino environments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and establish monitoring procedures for unusual administrative activities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws, and represents a significant concern under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques, particularly in the context of administrative access exploitation and persistent threat activities targeting enterprise messaging systems.