CVE-2017-17903 in FS Lynda Clone
Summary
by MITRE
FS Lynda Clone has CSRF via user/edit_profile, as demonstrated by adding content to the user panel.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17903 represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within the FS Lynda Clone web application. This type of vulnerability allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The specific weakness manifests in the user/edit_profile endpoint where the application fails to implement proper anti-CSRF measures, making it susceptible to malicious exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it targets a core user management function that could provide attackers with elevated privileges and access to sensitive user data.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or other protective mechanisms within the user profile editing functionality. When a user visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link while authenticated to the FS Lynda Clone application, the attacker can trigger unauthorized requests to the user/edit_profile endpoint. This allows for the modification of user profiles, potentially including the addition of malicious content to the user panel as demonstrated in the vulnerability report. The flaw operates under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, where the application lacks proper validation of the request source and origin.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple profile modification. Attackers could potentially use this vector to escalate privileges, inject malicious content, or manipulate user data in ways that compromise the integrity of the application. The user panel content addition capability represents a significant risk as it could be used to distribute malware, phishing content, or other malicious payloads to other users. This vulnerability affects the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, potentially leading to unauthorized access to user accounts and sensitive information. The attack requires minimal user interaction, typically just visiting a malicious website while logged into the target application, making it particularly dangerous in real-world scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for this CSRF vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves implementing anti-CSRF tokens that are generated per session and validated on each state-changing request. These tokens should be unique per user session and properly validated by the server before processing any profile modification requests. Organizations should also implement proper request origin validation and consider implementing the SameSite cookie attributes to prevent cross-origin requests from being automatically included with credentials. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002 which addresses privilege escalation through CSRF attacks, emphasizing the need for comprehensive input validation and session management controls. Additionally, regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities across the application's attack surface.