CVE-2015-4391 in CiviCRM Private Report Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the CiviCRM private report module 6.x-1.x before 6.x-1.2 and 7.x-1.x before 7.x-1.3 for Drupal allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of users for requests that delete reports via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2019
The CVE-2015-4391 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the CiviCRM private report module for Drupal platforms. This vulnerability specifically affects versions 6.x-1.x prior to 6.x-1.2 and 7.x-1.x prior to 7.x-1.3, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these older versions. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit user authentication sessions and execute unauthorized actions against the system, particularly targeting report deletion functionality within the CiviCRM module.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the private report module's delete functionality. When a user accesses the CiviCRM private report interface and performs actions such as deleting reports, the application fails to adequately verify that requests originate from legitimate user interactions rather than maliciously crafted requests. This oversight allows attackers to construct specially crafted web pages or exploit existing vulnerabilities to trigger unauthorized report deletion operations without requiring explicit user authentication or authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data loss, as it compromises the integrity and availability of critical organizational data within CiviCRM systems. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to delete important reports, potentially disrupting business operations, compromising audit trails, and undermining the reliability of organizational data management systems. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system or network. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where CiviCRM is used for sensitive data management, such as non-profit organizations, government agencies, or any entity handling confidential information through the Drupal platform.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of available security patches and updates to the CiviCRM private report module. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to the patched versions 6.x-1.2 and 7.x-1.3, which implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms including anti-CSRF token validation and request origin verification. Additionally, system administrators should conduct thorough security assessments of their CiviCRM implementations, review user permissions, and implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and represents a typical example of how inadequate input validation and authentication mechanisms can create persistent security risks in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation and data manipulation techniques, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls to prevent unauthorized system access and data compromise.