CVE-2017-11679 in Hashtopus
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) exists in Hashtopus 1.5g via the password parameter to admin.php in an a=config action.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11679 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Hashtopus version 1.5g, specifically affecting the administrative interface through the admin.php script. This CSRF vulnerability arises from the lack of proper validation mechanisms when processing configuration changes, particularly those involving password modifications. The flaw exists in the a=config action of the admin.php endpoint, where user-supplied password parameters are processed without adequate anti-CSRF token verification, making the system susceptible to unauthorized administrative actions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from Hashtopus failing to implement proper CSRF protection measures in its administrative functions. When an authenticated administrator performs configuration changes through the admin.php interface, the application does not validate that the request originates from a legitimate source within the same session. This absence of anti-CSRF tokens allows malicious actors to craft forged requests that can manipulate the password parameter without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative configuration interface, where sensitive operations such as password changes can be executed through the a=config action parameter.
From an operational impact perspective, this CSRF vulnerability poses significant risks to the security posture of systems running Hashtopus 1.5g. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw could potentially change administrative passwords, thereby gaining unauthorized access to the entire system configuration and potentially escalating privileges to full administrative control. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows attackers to manipulate sensitive configuration parameters through legitimate administrative interfaces, bypassing normal authentication mechanisms. The ease of exploitation and the potential for privilege escalation make this a high-severity issue that could lead to complete system compromise.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. This classification indicates that the flaw represents a fundamental failure in implementing proper request validation and authentication mechanisms for administrative functions. Additionally, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as the successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized administrative access and subsequent lateral movement within the network. The lack of proper CSRF protection in this administrative interface creates an attack surface that could be leveraged for persistent access and further compromise of the system infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms throughout the administrative interface, particularly in the admin.php script where the flaw occurs. Organizations should ensure that all administrative actions require proper authentication tokens that are validated before processing sensitive configuration changes. The implementation should include unique tokens for each session that are generated server-side and validated on each request, preventing attackers from crafting malicious requests that could manipulate the password parameter. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and ensuring that all administrative functions require explicit user confirmation before executing sensitive operations would significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Regular security updates and patch management should be implemented to address this vulnerability in affected systems, while also conducting thorough security assessments to identify other potential CSRF vulnerabilities within the application's administrative interfaces.