CVE-2018-10267 in WTCMS
Summary
by MITRE
WTCMS 1.0 has a CSRF vulnerability to add an administrator account via the index.php?admin&m=user&a=add_post URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10267 affects WTCMS version 1.0, a content management system that exposes a cross-site request forgery flaw in its administrative interface. This vulnerability specifically targets the URI index.php?admin&m=user&a=add_post which allows unauthorized attackers to create new administrator accounts without proper authentication. The flaw stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the user account creation endpoint, making it susceptible to exploitation through malicious web pages or email attachments that trigger the administrative account creation process automatically.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the web application failing to validate the origin of requests submitted to the user account addition functionality. When an administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the browser automatically submits a request to the vulnerable WTCMS instance without requiring additional authentication or confirmation. This represents a classic CSRF attack vector where the victim's authenticated session is leveraged to perform actions they did not intend to execute. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1548.001 for Abuse of Functionality, as it allows attackers to escalate privileges through unauthorized account creation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with direct path to administrative control of the affected WTCMS instance. Successful exploitation enables attackers to create accounts with full administrative privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistent access. The vulnerability affects all users of WTCMS 1.0 who have administrative access, and the attack can be executed without requiring any special privileges or knowledge of existing user credentials. Organizations using this CMS version face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering techniques, phishing campaigns, or by embedding malicious code in legitimate websites that users visit.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-10267 should prioritize immediate implementation of anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the WTCMS application. The system must generate unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session and validate these tokens on all state-changing operations including user account creation. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and output encoding to prevent additional attack vectors. Security patches should be applied immediately if available from the vendor, or the application should be updated to a newer version that addresses this vulnerability. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and monitoring for unusual administrative account creation activities should be implemented. Additionally, administrators should conduct regular security assessments and ensure that all users are educated about the risks of clicking suspicious links or visiting untrusted websites that could trigger CSRF attacks against their systems.