CVE-2017-12792 in NexusPHP
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in NexusPHP 1.5 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via the (1) linkname, (2) url, or (3) title parameter in an add action to linksmanage.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12792 represents a critical security flaw in NexusPHP version 1.5 that combines both cross-site request forgery and cross-site scripting attack vectors. This issue affects the linksmanage.php administrative interface where unauthorized remote attackers can exploit CSRF vulnerabilities to manipulate administrative sessions and execute malicious XSS payloads. The vulnerability specifically targets three parameter fields including linkname, url, and title within the add action functionality, creating a dangerous attack surface that could lead to complete administrative compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the NexusPHP application's administrative interface. When administrators perform actions through the linksmanage.php script, the application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions rather than maliciously crafted requests. This lack of validation allows attackers to construct specially crafted web pages or exploit existing XSS vulnerabilities to trick administrators into executing unintended actions with their elevated privileges. The vulnerability operates under CWE-352 which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data manipulation as it provides attackers with the capability to completely compromise administrative accounts and execute arbitrary code within the application context. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts that would execute in the context of the administrator's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data exfiltration, or even complete system compromise. The combination of CSRF and XSS elements creates a particularly dangerous attack scenario where the initial CSRF exploit can be used to establish a persistent XSS payload that continues to affect the administrator's session.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. The attack chain typically involves crafting malicious web content that, when viewed by an administrator, automatically submits requests to the vulnerable linksmanage.php endpoint. This allows attackers to add malicious links with embedded XSS payloads that can steal session cookies, redirect administrators to phishing sites, or execute arbitrary JavaScript code. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication to exploit initially, making it a prime candidate for automated exploitation tools.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-12792 should focus on implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the application's administrative interfaces. This includes implementing anti-CSRF tokens that are validated on each request, ensuring that all administrative actions require proper session validation, and implementing proper input sanitization for all user-supplied parameters. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of malicious scripts and employ web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading to a patched version of NexusPHP that implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms as outlined in OWASP CSRF prevention guidelines. Additionally, regular security audits and input validation testing should be performed to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components that may be susceptible to similar attack patterns.