CVE-2016-1201 in EC-CUBE
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in LOCKON EC-CUBE 3.0.0 through 3.0.9 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2018
The CVE-2016-1201 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the LOCKON EC-CUBE e-commerce platform version 3.0.0 through 3.0.9. This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the administrative authentication mechanisms of the platform by tricking administrators into executing unintended actions through maliciously crafted requests. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the administrative interfaces, allowing attackers to craft forged requests that appear legitimate to the application's authentication system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental weakness in the application's session management and request validation processes. When administrators interact with the EC-CUBE administrative panel, the system should verify that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions and contain appropriate CSRF tokens to prevent unauthorized operations. However, in versions 3.0.0 through 3.0.9, the application fails to adequately validate these tokens, creating a pathway for attackers to perform administrative actions without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative authentication flow where the application trusts requests that lack proper token verification, effectively allowing attackers to hijack active administrator sessions and execute privileged operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over affected EC-CUBE installations. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could perform critical administrative functions such as modifying user accounts, changing system configurations, accessing sensitive customer data, and potentially compromising the entire web application infrastructure. The implications are particularly severe given that the vulnerability affects the administrative interface, which typically holds the highest privileges within the application. This allows attackers to establish persistent access to the system and potentially use the compromised administrative account as a foothold for further attacks within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-1201 should focus on implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the EC-CUBE platform. Organizations should immediately upgrade to version 3.0.10 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the vulnerability. The fix typically involves implementing robust anti-CSRF token generation and validation processes, ensuring that all administrative requests contain and validate unique tokens that are tied to the user's session. Additionally, security practitioners should implement proper session management practices, including session timeout mechanisms, secure cookie attributes, and regular session regeneration. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002, which focuses on bypassing application control through session hijacking and authentication manipulation. Organizations should also conduct thorough security testing of their web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components and ensure comprehensive protection against CSRF attacks.