CVE-2018-13340 in Gleez
Summary
by MITRE
Gleez CMS 1.2.0 has CSRF, as demonstrated by a /page/add request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-13340 affects Gleez CMS version 1.2.0 and represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that undermines the security integrity of the content management system. This vulnerability specifically manifests through the /page/add request endpoint, which lacks proper anti-CSRF protection mechanisms. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit user sessions and execute unauthorized administrative actions without their knowledge or consent.
Cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities occur when a web application fails to validate the origin of requests, enabling attackers to trick authenticated users into performing unintended actions on vulnerable applications. In the context of Gleez CMS, this vulnerability exposes the system to unauthorized content creation, modification, or deletion operations that can be executed through carefully crafted malicious requests. The /page/add endpoint serves as a critical attack vector since it allows for the creation of new pages within the CMS, potentially enabling attackers to inject malicious content, establish backdoors, or manipulate website structure.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper request validation mechanisms within the Gleez CMS framework. Modern web applications should implement anti-CSRF tokens that are generated per user session and validated against each request to ensure that the request originates from the legitimate user interface rather than being forged by an attacker. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the application's security architecture to enforce proper session validation and request origin verification, creating an environment where malicious actors can exploit the trust relationship between the user and the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple content manipulation, potentially allowing attackers to compromise entire websites through unauthorized administrative actions. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to create malicious pages that redirect users to phishing sites, inject malicious scripts, or establish persistent backdoors within the CMS infrastructure. The severity of the impact increases when considering that Gleez CMS typically serves as a platform for publishing content, making the potential for widespread damage significant. Attackers could also use this vulnerability to escalate privileges or gain deeper access to the underlying system, especially if the CMS shares database credentials or system access with other services.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of protection to address this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected Gleez CMS installations to the latest available versions that contain proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns, mandatory CSRF token validation for all state-changing operations, and regular security audits of web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities. The implementation of proper session management and origin validation techniques aligns with industry standards such as CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities, and follows recommended practices from the OWASP Top Ten project. Organizations should also consider implementing the ATT&CK framework's defensive strategies for mitigating CSRF attacks, particularly focusing on request validation and session integrity controls that prevent unauthorized modifications to web application state through forged requests.