CVE-2014-2579 in XCloner
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in XCloner Standalone 3.5 and earlier allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that (1) change the administrator password via the config task to index2.php or (2) when the enable_db_backup and sql_mem options are enabled, access the database backup functionality via the dbbackup_comp parameter in the generate action to index2.php. NOTE: vector 2 might be a duplicate of CVE-2014-2340, which is for the XCloner Wordpress plugin. NOTE: remote attackers can leverage CVE-2014-2996 with vector 2 to execute arbitrary commands.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2579 represents a critical cross-site request forgery issue affecting XCloner Standalone versions 3.5 and earlier. This flaw resides in the web application's failure to properly validate and authenticate requests originating from unauthorized sources, creating a significant security risk for administrators who manage the system. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface where legitimate users with valid credentials can be tricked into executing unintended actions without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability manifests through two distinct attack vectors that exploit the application's insufficient request validation mechanisms. The first vector allows attackers to modify administrator passwords by manipulating requests sent to index2.php through the config task, while the second vector targets database backup functionality when specific configuration options are enabled. Both attack paths leverage the application's lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation, enabling malicious actors to craft deceptive requests that appear legitimate to the server due to the absence of proper session validation controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over affected systems. When successful, the CSRF attacks can result in unauthorized password changes that immediately compromise administrator accounts, followed by potential database access and backup operations that could expose sensitive data or allow for further system compromise. The vulnerability's potential for exploitation is amplified when combined with other vulnerabilities such as CVE-2014-2996, which enables command execution capabilities when the database backup functionality is accessed, creating a chain of attacks that can lead to complete system compromise.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts and T1566.001 for spearphishing attachments, as attackers typically leverage these vulnerabilities through deceptive means to gain unauthorized access. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental lack of proper input validation and session management controls that should be implemented according to industry best practices for web application security. Organizations using affected versions of XCloner Standalone should immediately implement mitigations including proper CSRF token implementation, request origin validation, and regular security updates to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.