CVE-2013-1972 in elFinder
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the elFinder file manager module 6.x-0.x before 6.x-0.8 and 7.x-0.x before 7.x-0.8 for Drupal allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims to create, modify, or delete files via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2022
The CVE-2013-1972 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the elFinder file manager module for Drupal platforms. This vulnerability affects versions 6.x-0.x prior to 6.x-0.8 and 7.x-0.x prior to 7.x-0.8, creating a significant security risk that enables remote attackers to exploit authenticated sessions without user knowledge. The flaw operates by allowing malicious actors to craft requests that appear legitimate to the Drupal application, leveraging the trust relationship between the user's browser and the vulnerable system. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery conditions in web applications, making it a well-documented and serious security concern.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the elFinder module's file management operations. Attackers can construct malicious web pages or exploit existing vulnerabilities in other parts of the application to submit unauthorized requests to the vulnerable Drupal installation. These requests can manipulate file creation, modification, or deletion operations, effectively allowing attackers to compromise the file system and potentially gain deeper access to the underlying system. The unspecified nature of the victim authentication vectors suggests that the flaw can be exploited against any authenticated user session, regardless of their privilege level within the Drupal environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file manipulation, as it can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF flaw can alter critical system files, upload malicious code, or delete essential components of the Drupal installation. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on Drupal for content management, as the elFinder module provides a web-based interface for file operations that is commonly used by administrators and content creators. This creates a significant risk for businesses where unauthorized file changes could lead to data loss, service disruption, or compromise of sensitive information. The attack vector can be particularly insidious as it requires minimal user interaction and can be executed through social engineering or by exploiting other vulnerabilities in the same web application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the elFinder module to versions 6.x-0.8 or 7.x-0.8 and later, which contain the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should implement additional security controls including proper input validation, CSRF token implementation for all file management operations, and network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper session management controls can further reduce the attack surface. According to ATT&CK framework category T1078, which deals with Valid Accounts, this vulnerability can be exploited to maintain persistence through unauthorized file system modifications, making proper access controls and monitoring essential. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should include checks for outdated modules and plugins that may contain similar CSRF vulnerabilities, as this represents a common class of flaws in content management systems that attackers frequently target.