CVE-2018-14519 in Kirby
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2022
An issue was discovered in Kirby 2.5.12. The delete page functionality suffers from a CSRF flaw. A remote attacker can craft a malicious CSRF page and force the user to delete a page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14519 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Kirby CMS version 2.5.12. This vulnerability specifically affects the delete page functionality, creating a scenario where authenticated users can be tricked into performing unauthorized actions without their knowledge or consent. The flaw resides in the application's insufficient validation of origin requests when processing page deletion operations, allowing malicious actors to exploit this weakness through carefully crafted web pages.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or origin validation mechanisms within the delete page endpoint. When a user navigates to a malicious page containing embedded requests to the Kirby CMS delete functionality, the browser automatically submits these requests as if they originated from the authenticated user's session. This occurs because the application does not verify that the request originated from the legitimate web application interface rather than a malicious third-party page. 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 data loss, as it can lead to complete site compromise and unauthorized content manipulation. An attacker with access to a victim's authenticated session can execute page deletion commands without the user's awareness, potentially removing critical content, breaking site navigation, or eliminating security-related pages. This flaw particularly affects content management workflows where administrators frequently perform page deletion operations, making it a prime target for exploitation. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials use, as it leverages existing authenticated sessions to perform unauthorized actions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the Kirby application. The most effective approach involves incorporating unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that must be validated before processing any destructive operations including page deletion. Additionally, implementing proper origin validation checks and requiring explicit user confirmation for critical operations can significantly reduce the attack surface. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which embedded content can be loaded, preventing malicious pages from executing automated requests against the CMS. Regular security audits and updates to the CMS platform are essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting in future versions.