CVE-2014-3866 in Usercake
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in user_settings.php in Usercake 2.0.2 and earlier allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that change the (1) administrative password via the passwordc parameter or (2) administrative e-mail address via the email parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2025
The CVE-2014-3866 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness in Usercake version 2.0.2 and earlier implementations. This vulnerability resides within the user_settings.php component, which serves as the administrative interface for managing user accounts and system configurations. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the trust relationship between authenticated administrators and the web application, potentially leading to unauthorized privilege escalation and complete system compromise. The vulnerability specifically targets administrative functions that control core system parameters, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on this user management framework.
The technical mechanism behind this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper validation mechanisms for administrative requests within the user_settings.php script. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or email attachments that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit requests to modify critical system parameters. The vulnerability manifests through two distinct attack vectors: the first targets the administrative password change functionality via the passwordc parameter, while the second exploits email address modification through the email parameter. These parameters lack sufficient anti-CSRF token validation, allowing attackers to manipulate administrative settings without proper authorization. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete control over administrative accounts and potentially the entire system. Successful exploitation enables attackers to change administrator passwords, effectively locking out legitimate users while maintaining persistent access to the system. Additionally, modifying email addresses can disrupt communication channels and enable further social engineering attacks. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the system or knowledge of administrator credentials. This makes it particularly attractive to threat actors and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts with elevated privileges. The consequences include potential data breaches, system compromise, and complete loss of administrative control over the affected platform.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the affected application. The most effective approach involves incorporating unique, unpredictable tokens for each administrative request that are validated server-side before processing any changes to critical system parameters. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and sanitization for all parameters received through user_settings.php. Additionally, enforcing session management best practices, including secure session tokens and proper session timeout mechanisms, can help reduce the window of opportunity for exploitation. The remediation process should include updating to the latest version of Usercake where these vulnerabilities have been addressed, as well as conducting thorough security assessments of all web applications to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious administrative activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.