CVE-2018-10031 in CMS Made Simple
Summary
by MITRE
CMS Made Simple (aka CMSMS) 2.2.7 has CSRF in admin/moduleinterface.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10031 represents a cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in CMS Made Simple version 2.2.7 within the admin/moduleinterface.php component. This security weakness allows authenticated administrators to be tricked into executing unintended actions through malicious web requests, exploiting the lack of proper validation mechanisms for administrative operations. The vulnerability specifically targets the module interface functionality that manages administrative modules within the CMS platform.
This CSRF vulnerability operates by leveraging the trust relationship between the web application and the authenticated administrator. When an administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a compromised link, the attacker can craft requests that automatically execute administrative actions within the CMS environment without the user's knowledge or consent. The flaw exists because the application fails to implement anti-CSRF tokens or similar validation mechanisms in the module interface functionality, making it susceptible to exploitation by attackers who can manipulate the administrative workflow.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using CMS Made Simple 2.2.7, as it provides attackers with a pathway to execute arbitrary administrative commands. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to install malicious modules, modify existing functionality, change user permissions, or potentially gain full administrative control over the CMS environment. The vulnerability affects the core administrative interface, making it particularly dangerous as it directly targets the most privileged functions within the system.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and insufficient session management practices within the administrative components of the CMS. According to ATT&CK framework category T1078, this vulnerability could be exploited as part of a broader attack chain involving legitimate credentials and administrative access, potentially leading to privilege escalation or persistent access within the web application environment.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the CMS Made Simple application to version 2.2.8 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the CSRF vulnerability. Organizations should also implement additional security controls including the enforcement of anti-CSRF tokens throughout all administrative interfaces, proper session management practices, and regular security assessments of web applications. Network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing comprehensive security testing practices to prevent similar issues in the future.