CVE-2017-15733 in phpMyFAQ
Summary
by MITRE
In phpMyFAQ before 2.9.9, there is Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in admin/ajax.attachment.php and admin/att.main.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15733 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting phpMyFAQ versions prior to 2.9.9. This vulnerability resides within the administrative interfaces of the phpMyFAQ application, specifically in the ajax.attachment.php and att.main.php files. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to manipulate the application's functionality through maliciously crafted requests that exploit the lack of proper CSRF protection mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens in the affected administrative endpoints. When administrators interact with the attachment management functionality, the application fails to validate the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrative sessions. This omission creates a condition where an attacker could craft malicious web pages or emails containing embedded requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, would perform unauthorized actions within the phpMyFAQ administration interface. The vulnerability manifests as the application processing requests without verifying that they originated from the intended administrative session, effectively bypassing the authentication and authorization controls that should protect sensitive administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using vulnerable versions of phpMyFAQ, as it provides attackers with a means to escalate privileges and execute unauthorized administrative actions. An attacker could potentially upload malicious files, modify existing attachments, delete critical data, or manipulate the attachment management system in ways that could compromise the integrity of the entire phpMyFAQ installation. The attack requires only that the target administrator be tricked into visiting a malicious website or clicking on a compromised link, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently browse external websites or receive email communications. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses, and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege in web application security.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to have already gained administrative access to the phpMyFAQ system, as the CSRF protection is bypassed within the administrative context. However, the consequences of successful exploitation are severe, potentially allowing attackers to compromise the entire attachment management system and, by extension, the broader phpMyFAQ installation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to phpMyFAQ version 2.9.9 or later, which includes proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, and ensuring that administrative sessions are protected with additional security measures such as secure session management, proper input validation, and network segmentation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing the principle of defense in depth, where multiple security controls work together to protect against various attack vectors. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1548.001 - Abuse Elevation of Privilege: Local Privilege Escalation, as it allows for unauthorized administrative actions within the application environment, and T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it represents an attack vector through the web interface of the application. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The fix implemented in version 2.9.9 addresses the root cause by incorporating proper CSRF token validation and ensuring that all administrative requests are authenticated and authorized before processing, thereby preventing unauthorized manipulation of the attachment management functionality.