CVE-2015-8379 in CakePHP
Summary
by MITRE
CakePHP 2.x and 3.x before 3.1.5 might allow remote attackers to bypass the CSRF protection mechanism via the _method parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8379 affects CakePHP versions 2.x and 3.x prior to 3.1.5, presenting a critical security flaw that undermines the framework's cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms. This weakness enables remote attackers to bypass CSRF safeguards by manipulating the _method parameter, potentially allowing unauthorized actions to be executed on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability resides in the framework's handling of HTTP method overriding, which is a common pattern used in web applications to support HTTP methods beyond GET and POST through parameter substitution. When applications utilize CakePHP's built-in CSRF protection alongside method override functionality, the security controls become ineffective due to improper validation of the _method parameter.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from how CakePHP processes the _method parameter within its request handling pipeline. In the affected versions, the framework's CSRF protection logic fails to properly validate or sanitize the _method parameter before executing the intended action. This occurs because the CSRF token verification process does not adequately account for requests that modify the HTTP method through parameter substitution. The flaw creates a pathway where an attacker can construct malicious requests that appear to be legitimate POST operations but are actually executed with different HTTP methods, thereby circumventing the token-based authentication that should prevent unauthorized operations. This behavior aligns with CWE-352, which describes Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and specifically demonstrates how improper input validation can lead to bypass of security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, potentially enabling attackers to perform unauthorized actions within applications that rely on CakePHP's CSRF protection. An attacker could exploit this weakness to execute sensitive operations such as user account modifications, data deletion, or privilege changes without proper authorization. The vulnerability affects web applications that utilize CakePHP's built-in CSRF protection mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous for applications handling sensitive user data or administrative functions. Given that CakePHP is widely adopted in enterprise environments, the potential for widespread impact increases significantly, as many applications may be running vulnerable versions without proper patch management protocols.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to CakePHP version 3.1.5 or later, which includes the necessary fixes for this vulnerability. The patch addresses the core issue by ensuring that the CSRF protection mechanism properly validates all request parameters, including the _method parameter, before executing any privileged operations. Additionally, administrators should conduct comprehensive security audits to identify any applications still running vulnerable versions, and implement robust patch management processes to prevent similar issues in the future. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect anomalous request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of thorough input validation and the need for comprehensive security testing, particularly for frameworks that handle complex request processing workflows. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002, which covers abuse of cloud platform credentials, and highlights the necessity of proper access control implementation in web application frameworks.