CVE-2016-10757 in Redaxo
Summary
by MITRE
In Redaxo 5.2.0, the cron management of the admin panel suffers from CSRF that leads to arbitrary Remote Code Execution via addons/cronjob/lib/types/phpcode.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10757 resides within Redaxo version 5.2.0, specifically targeting the administrative cron management functionality. This issue represents a critical security flaw that demonstrates the dangerous intersection of cross-site request forgery and remote code execution capabilities. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows attackers to manipulate the cron job system through a CSRF attack vector, which then enables them to execute arbitrary code on the target system. The attack chain begins with a CSRF exploit that modifies the cron job configuration, ultimately leading to code execution through the phpcode.php file located in the addons/cronjob/lib/types/ directory.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and missing anti-CSRF tokens within the cron management interface. When administrators interact with the cron job management system, the application fails to properly validate the authenticity of requests originating from the administrative interface. This absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms allows malicious actors to craft specially crafted requests that, when executed by authenticated administrators, can modify cron job configurations. The phpcode.php file serves as the execution point where the malicious payload is processed, effectively transforming a simple configuration modification into a full remote code execution capability. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and CWE-94, which covers Improper Control of Generation of Code, as the system fails to properly validate and sanitize input before executing code.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-10757 is severe and far-reaching for any organization utilizing Redaxo 5.2.0 with administrative cron job functionality. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain complete control over the affected web server, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The attack requires minimal privileges to initiate, as it only needs a user with administrative access to the Redaxo system to be tricked into executing a malicious request. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrators may be less security-aware or where phishing attacks are common. The remote code execution capability allows attackers to install backdoors, exfiltrate data, modify website content, or use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate security gap and implement broader defensive measures. Organizations should immediately upgrade to a patched version of Redaxo that resolves the CSRF protection issues in the cron management interface. The implementation of proper anti-CSRF tokens and validation mechanisms within the administrative interface is essential to prevent unauthorized modifications to cron job configurations. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit administrative access to only trusted users and systems. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual cron job modifications and code execution patterns. The remediation process should also involve comprehensive security audits of all administrative interfaces to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability falls under T1059 for executing code and T1078 for valid accounts, highlighting the importance of account security and code execution monitoring. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the cron management endpoints. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across the entire application stack, ensuring that the administrative interfaces maintain proper authentication and authorization controls to prevent unauthorized access and execution of malicious code.