CVE-2015-1374 in ferretCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in admin.php in ferretCMS 1.0.4-alpha allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that conduct (1) cross-site scripting (XSS), (2) SQL injection, or (3) unrestricted file upload attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2025
The CVE-2015-1374 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in ferretCMS version 1.0.4-alpha, specifically within the admin.php administrative interface. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-352, which defines cross-site request forgery as a security weakness where an attacker tricks a victim into performing actions they did not intend to execute. The flaw exists in the administrative component of the content management system, making it particularly dangerous as it targets privileged users with elevated access rights.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the admin.php file. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages or email attachments that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable ferretCMS administration interface. These crafted requests can execute without the administrator's knowledge or consent, leveraging the authenticated session of the logged-in administrator. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it enables attackers to perform multiple types of malicious operations through a single CSRF vector, including cross-site scripting attacks that can execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the administrator's browser, SQL injection attempts that can compromise database integrity, and unrestricted file upload operations that could lead to remote code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates a comprehensive attack surface for sophisticated cyber operations. When an administrator clicks on a malicious link or visits a compromised webpage, the CSRF attack can silently execute commands that the administrator would never authorize. This presents a significant risk for organizations using ferretCMS, as the administrative interface typically has access to sensitive data, system configuration, and user management functions. The combination of XSS capabilities allows attackers to potentially steal session cookies, redirect administrators to malicious sites, or inject persistent malicious scripts. SQL injection components could enable database compromise, potentially exposing sensitive organizational information or allowing attackers to manipulate the CMS's data structure. The unrestricted file upload functionality could lead to complete system compromise through web shell deployment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1374 should focus on implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the administrative interface. Organizations should deploy anti-CSRF tokens that are generated per session and validated on each administrative request, ensuring that requests originate from legitimate administrative interfaces rather than malicious third-party sites. The implementation should follow ATT&CK framework tactics related to privilege escalation and credential access by preventing unauthorized administrative actions. Security patches should be applied immediately to upgrade to a patched version of ferretCMS, while network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect suspicious administrative activities. Additionally, administrators should be trained to recognize potential CSRF attack vectors and implement web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious requests attempting to exploit this vulnerability. The remediation process must include thorough testing to ensure that the CSRF protection mechanisms do not interfere with legitimate administrative functions while effectively blocking unauthorized requests.