CVE-2018-10137 in UberforX
Summary
by MITRE
iScripts UberforX 2.2 has CSRF in the "manage_settings" section of the Admin Panel via the /cms?section=manage_settings&action=edit URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10137 represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within the iScripts UberforX 2.2 web application, specifically affecting the administrative panel's manage_settings functionality. This critical security weakness exists in the /cms?section=manage_settings&action=edit URI endpoint, where the application fails to implement proper anti-CSRF mechanisms for sensitive administrative operations. The vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with access to the admin panel to execute unauthorized actions by tricking victims into visiting malicious web pages that submit requests to the vulnerable application without their knowledge or consent.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or other validation mechanisms in the administrative settings management interface. When administrators navigate to the manage_settings section and attempt to modify configuration parameters, the application does not verify the authenticity of the request origin or validate that the request was intentionally initiated by the legitimate user. This design flaw enables attackers to craft malicious web pages or email attachments that, when visited by an authenticated admin user, automatically submit requests to modify critical system settings. The vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it could enable attackers to modify critical system configurations, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Attackers could manipulate administrative settings such as user permissions, system parameters, database configurations, or security policies that would otherwise require legitimate administrative access. This could result in unauthorized data access, privilege delegation, or even complete system takeover depending on the scope of settings that can be modified through the vulnerable interface. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where administrators are tricked into visiting malicious sites while logged into the admin panel, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently browse untrusted websites.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-10137 should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the administrative interface. The most effective approach involves generating unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session and requiring their validation for every state-changing request within the admin panel. These tokens should be embedded in forms and validated server-side before processing any administrative actions. Organizations should also implement proper session management with secure cookie attributes, enforce strict origin validation for administrative requests, and consider implementing additional authentication layers such as two-factor authentication for administrative accounts. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002 which addresses privilege escalation through administrative access, and follows security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 2017 category A06: Security Misconfiguration. Regular security audits and input validation should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other administrative interfaces, while also ensuring that all user interactions with sensitive system components require explicit verification of user intent through proper CSRF protection mechanisms.