CVE-2014-3854 in Pyplate
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in admin/addScript.py in Pyplate 0.08 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the title parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The CVE-2014-3854 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in the Pyplate content management system version 0.08, specifically within the admin/addScript.py component. This vulnerability exposes the administrative interface to sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise system integrity and user data. The flaw manifests through the title parameter in the addScript.py script, which fails to implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to exploit this weakness for unauthorized administrative actions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the administrative script processing flow. When administrators interact with the addScript.py endpoint, the system does not verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrative sessions. This omission creates a pathway for attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated administrative users, effectively bypassing session validation controls. The vulnerability specifically targets the title parameter, which serves as the primary injection point for attackers to manipulate administrative workflows.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to execute cross-site scripting attacks through administrative sessions. This dual nature of the vulnerability means that successful exploitation can result in complete administrative compromise, allowing attackers to manipulate content, modify user permissions, and potentially access sensitive system information. The combination of CSRF and XSS capabilities creates a particularly dangerous attack scenario where attackers can not only hijack administrative sessions but also execute malicious scripts within the context of privileged user sessions. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-352, which defines cross-site request forgery as a weakness that allows attackers to perform actions with the privileges of an authenticated user without their knowledge or consent.
The attack vector for this vulnerability requires minimal technical sophistication, as it exploits fundamental security controls that should be present in any secure web application. Attackers can craft specially formatted requests that leverage the trust relationship between the web application and authenticated administrators, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access is frequently used. The impact is amplified when considering that the vulnerability affects the administrative addScript.py endpoint, which is likely used for adding or modifying scripts that could have system-wide implications. This vulnerability can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1548.002, which covers abuse of cloud compute infrastructure, as compromised administrative access could lead to unauthorized cloud resource manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3854 should focus on implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the Pyplate application, particularly within the administrative interfaces. The most effective approach involves incorporating anti-CSRF tokens that are generated per session and validated on each administrative request, ensuring that requests originate from legitimate administrative users. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and sanitization for the title parameter can prevent malicious data from being processed through the addScript.py endpoint. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious request patterns that may indicate CSRF attack attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining proper session management controls and the necessity of validating all administrative requests through multiple authentication factors to prevent unauthorized access to privileged functions.