CVE-2013-6942 in NetScaler
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Citrix NetScaler Application Delivery Controller (ADC) 9.3.x before 9.3-64.4, 10.0 before 10.0-77.5, and 10.1 before 10.1-118.7 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
The CVE-2013-6942 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Citrix NetScaler Application Delivery Controller ADC platforms, specifically affecting versions 9.3.x prior to 9.3-64.4, 10.0 prior to 10.0-77.5, and 10.1 prior to 10.1-118.7. This vulnerability resides in the authentication handling mechanisms of the NetScaler ADC, which serves as a critical component for load balancing, application delivery, and security enforcement in enterprise networks. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions by exploiting the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms, potentially allowing unauthorized users to perform administrative actions on behalf of legitimate users without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the insufficient validation of request origins and lack of anti-CSRF tokens within the NetScaler ADC's web-based management interface. When users authenticate to the NetScaler console, the system should verify that subsequent requests originate from legitimate sources and contain appropriate security tokens to prevent unauthorized actions. However, the vulnerability allows attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated users, leveraging the trust relationship between the user's browser and the NetScaler appliance. This weakness falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for credential access through forged requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking, as the NetScaler ADC serves as a cornerstone for application delivery and network security in enterprise environments. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to modify critical configurations, add or remove users, alter load balancing rules, or disable security features, potentially leading to complete compromise of the application delivery infrastructure. The unspecified nature of victim targets suggests this vulnerability affects multiple user roles and administrative functions within the NetScaler environment, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on these appliances for critical business applications. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means attackers do not require physical access or network proximity to the appliance, enabling widespread exploitation across network boundaries.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates, enabling proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the appliance configuration, and implementing additional network segmentation controls. The recommended remediation strategy involves updating to patched versions of the Citrix NetScaler ADC software, which typically include enhanced CSRF token validation and improved session management protocols. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls, monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns, and restricting access to the NetScaler management interfaces through secure network segmentation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for enterprise infrastructure components and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of management interfaces to prevent unauthorized administrative access through session manipulation attacks.