CVE-2017-6002 in Subrion CMS
Summary
by MITRE
Subrion CMS 4.0.5.10 has CSRF in admin/blog/add/. The attacker can add any blog entry, and can optionally insert XSS into that entry via the body parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6002 affects Subrion CMS version 4.0.5.10 and represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the administrative blog management functionality. This weakness exists in the admin/blog/add/ endpoint where the application fails to implement proper anti-CSRF mechanisms, allowing authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. The vulnerability specifically impacts the blog entry creation process where attackers can leverage CSRF tokens that are either missing, predictable, or improperly validated.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious request that targets the blog addition functionality without requiring the victim to provide valid authentication credentials. The flaw enables attackers to insert arbitrary blog entries into the system, potentially compromising the integrity of the content management system. The vulnerability becomes particularly dangerous when combined with the ability to inject cross-site scripting payloads through the body parameter, creating a chained attack vector that can persistently compromise the application. This dual nature of the vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery conditions, and demonstrates how CSRF flaws can be leveraged to create more severe security incidents when combined with other vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized content creation, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the administrative interface of the content management system. Attackers can use this capability to deface websites, inject malicious code, or establish backdoors through the blog entries they create. The XSS injection capability through the body parameter creates a particularly dangerous scenario where the malicious content can be executed in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the web application. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can result in complete compromise of the CMS environment when combined with the administrative access it provides.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the administrative endpoints, particularly those that modify application state or content. The implementation should follow established security guidelines and incorporate proper token generation, validation, and session management practices. Organizations should ensure that all administrative functions require properly validated CSRF tokens that are tied to the user session and are not predictable or reusable. The fix should also include proper input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied content, particularly in fields that support rich text or HTML content. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining secure session management and proper access controls within content management systems, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1190 for exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications. Regular security assessments and automated vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar CSRF flaws in other administrative interfaces within the application stack.