CVE-2017-8930 in Simple Invoices
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in Simple Invoices 2013.1.beta.8 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of admins for requests that can (1) create new administrator user accounts and take over the entire application, (2) create regular user accounts, or (3) change configuration parameters such as tax rates and the enable/disable status of PayPal payment modules.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2022
The CVE-2017-8930 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in Simple Invoices version 2013.1.beta.8, a web-based invoicing application that serves small businesses and organizations. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery conditions where an attacker can trick authenticated users into executing unintended actions without their knowledge. The flaw exists in the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit the system's trust in legitimate user sessions.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper validation mechanisms for administrative requests within the Simple Invoices application. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or email attachments that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable application's backend. These requests bypass normal authentication checks because the browser automatically includes the administrator's session cookies, making the application believe the requests originate from an authorized user. The vulnerability affects three distinct attack vectors that collectively represent a complete compromise of the system's administrative controls.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-8930 is severe and encompasses complete system takeover capabilities for attackers. The first attack vector allows unauthorized creation of new administrator accounts, effectively granting full control over the application's user management and access permissions. The second vector enables attackers to create regular user accounts, potentially expanding their foothold within the system while maintaining persistent access. The third vector permits modification of critical configuration parameters including tax rates and payment module enablement states, which can result in financial loss, data manipulation, and service disruption. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers legitimate credentials, and T1566, which addresses phishing techniques that leverage CSRF attacks.
Organizations using Simple Invoices 2013.1.beta.8 face significant risk exposure due to this vulnerability, particularly in environments where administrative access is not properly restricted or where administrators frequently browse untrusted web content. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means attackers can leverage it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the network or system. The impact extends beyond immediate unauthorized access to include potential data corruption, financial manipulation through tax rate changes, and disruption of payment processing capabilities. Mitigation strategies must include implementing anti-CSRF tokens in all administrative forms, enforcing strict session management controls, and ensuring proper input validation and authentication checks. Additionally, organizations should consider network segmentation, regular security assessments, and application updates to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms, particularly in applications handling sensitive administrative functions and financial data.