CVE-2016-4887 in BaserCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in baserCMS plugin Uploader version 3.0.10 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2020
The CVE-2016-4887 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the baserCMS plugin Uploader version 3.0.10 and earlier releases. This vulnerability resides within the web application's authentication mechanism and specifically targets administrator accounts, making it particularly dangerous for content management systems that rely on robust administrative controls. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit the lack of proper CSRF protection measures, enabling them to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated administrators without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the plugin's request handling process. When administrators interact with the uploader plugin, the application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session context. This omission creates a fundamental security gap where malicious actors can craft specially crafted requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, perform unintended operations. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its authenticated users, making it particularly insidious as it exploits the very authentication mechanisms designed to protect the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification, as it provides attackers with elevated privileges within the baserCMS environment. Administrators who use the vulnerable uploader plugin become potential victims of session hijacking attacks where attackers can execute administrative commands, modify content, delete files, or potentially escalate their privileges further within the system. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the attack surface may encompass multiple types of administrative functions, making the potential damage scope broader than initially apparent. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the integrity of the authentication system.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers the exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications through CSRF attacks. Organizations utilizing baserCMS systems with vulnerable uploader plugins face significant risk of unauthorized administrative access, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or knowledge of internal network structures to exploit it effectively.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-4887 should focus on immediate patching of the uploader plugin to version 3.0.11 or later, which contains the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. System administrators should implement additional security controls such as validating request origins, implementing proper anti-CSRF tokens for all administrative functions, and configuring web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious request patterns. The remediation process should include thorough testing to ensure that legitimate administrative functions remain operational while the CSRF protection measures are properly enforced. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially affected components within their baserCMS installations and implement proper security monitoring to detect any attempted exploitation of this vulnerability.