CVE-2017-11680 in Hashtopussy
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) exists in Hashtopussy 0.4.0, allowing an admin password change via users.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11680 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Hashtopussy version 0.4.0, a distributed computing platform designed for cryptocurrency mining operations. This CSRF vulnerability specifically targets the administrative functionality of the application, creating a significant security risk that could allow unauthorized actors to compromise system integrity. The flaw exists within the users.php component of the application, which handles user management operations including administrative password modifications. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF mechanisms when processing administrative actions, making it susceptible to exploitation through maliciously crafted requests that could be executed without the legitimate user's knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic CSRF attack vector where an attacker can trick an authenticated administrator into executing unintended actions on the web application. When an admin user navigates to a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the application processes the request without validating that it originated from the legitimate administrative interface. This occurs because Hashtopussy 0.4.0 does not implement proper CSRF token validation or referer header checks when processing password change requests through the users.php endpoint. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative password modification functionality, allowing an attacker to potentially gain unauthorized access to administrative privileges and subsequently compromise the entire mining operation infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it could lead to complete system compromise of the Hashtopussy mining platform. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability could change administrative passwords, potentially locking out legitimate administrators while simultaneously gaining full control over mining operations. This includes the ability to modify mining configurations, redirect mining rewards to attacker-controlled addresses, or disable mining activities entirely. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where Hashtopussy is deployed in corporate or organizational settings where mining operations are managed by administrators with elevated privileges. The attack requires minimal sophistication and could be automated, making it a significant threat to any system running this vulnerable version.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-11680 should focus on implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves implementing anti-CSRF tokens that are generated for each user session and validated on every administrative request. This approach aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities, and follows the principles outlined in the OWASP CSRF Prevention Cheat Sheet. Organizations should also implement proper referer header validation, ensure that administrative actions require explicit user confirmation, and consider implementing additional authentication factors such as multi-factor authentication. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1548.001 which covers legitimate credentials and the abuse of administrative privileges, making proper CSRF protection essential for preventing unauthorized administrative access. System administrators should immediately upgrade to a patched version of Hashtopussy or implement compensating controls to prevent exploitation while awaiting official updates.