CVE-2015-2954 in MilkyStep
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Igreks MilkyStep Light 0.94 and earlier and Professional 1.82 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2019
The CVE-2015-2954 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting Igreks MilkyStep Light version 0.94 and earlier, as well as Professional version 1.82 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within the web application's authentication mechanism and allows remote attackers to manipulate user sessions through crafted malicious requests. The flaw fundamentally undermines the application's ability to verify legitimate user requests, creating a pathway for unauthorized authentication hijacking. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through spearphishing attachments. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the application's session management system.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of robust CSRF protection mechanisms in the MilkyStep web interface. When users authenticate to the application, the system fails to properly validate that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same domain. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or emails containing embedded requests that, when executed by authenticated users, perform unauthorized actions on the application. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to hijack user sessions without requiring any credentials or authentication information. The flaw operates by exploiting the browser's automatic inclusion of cookies for the target domain, enabling malicious requests to be executed with the privileges of authenticated users. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security model where session integrity cannot be guaranteed.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-2954 is severe and far-reaching for organizations using affected versions of MilkyStep. Successful exploitation allows attackers to perform arbitrary actions as authenticated users, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Attackers could modify user accounts, access sensitive data, perform administrative functions, or conduct unauthorized transactions within the application's scope. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not need physical access to the network or system, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may be accessing the application from various locations. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face significant risk of data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and potential regulatory compliance violations. The attack vector through email phishing or compromised websites makes this vulnerability particularly effective in real-world scenarios, as users may unknowingly trigger malicious requests when visiting compromised sites or opening malicious attachments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2954 require immediate action to address the CSRF vulnerability in affected MilkyStep installations. Organizations should upgrade to patched versions of the software where available, as the vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases. Implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms is essential, including generating unique tokens for each user session and validating these tokens on all state-changing requests. The application should enforce strict origin validation checks and implement the use of SameSite cookies to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense in depth, though these should not replace proper application-level fixes. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other applications within their environment that may be similarly vulnerable to CSRF attacks. Regular security testing including penetration testing and web application security scanning should be implemented to detect and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. The remediation process should include thorough testing to ensure that CSRF protections are properly implemented without breaking legitimate application functionality.