CVE-2018-15564 in simple-cms
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in daveismyname simple-cms through 2014-03-11. There is a CSRF vulnerability that can delete any page via admin/?delpage=8.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15564 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the simple-cms content management system developed by daveismyname. This vulnerability exists in versions released through March 11, 2014, and allows authenticated attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of administrators. The specific issue manifests when an attacker crafts a malicious request that targets the administrative deletion endpoint, specifically the parameter delpage=8 which can be manipulated to delete any page within the CMS. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery as a significant web application security weakness that enables attackers to perform actions without user consent.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability exploits the lack of proper authentication verification and anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the CMS administrative interface. When an administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the browser automatically submits a request to the simple-cms administration endpoint without requiring additional authentication or verification. The vulnerability specifically targets the page deletion functionality, allowing an attacker to manipulate the delpage parameter to target any page identifier within the system. This represents a serious operational risk as it provides attackers with the ability to permanently remove content, potentially causing data loss, service disruption, and reputational damage to organizations relying on this CMS.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations using the simple-cms platform, particularly those that have not updated to patched versions. The impact extends beyond simple content deletion to potentially compromise the entire website's integrity and availability. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to remove critical pages, disable website functionality, or create a denial of service condition by deleting essential content. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002, which involves accessing data through unsecured network services, and demonstrates how insufficient input validation and lack of proper session management can create persistent security weaknesses. Organizations may also face regulatory compliance issues if this vulnerability results in unauthorized data deletion or service disruption.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability involve implementing robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms throughout the administrative interface, enforcing proper authentication checks for all administrative actions, and ensuring that all parameter inputs are properly validated and sanitized. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of simple-cms or implement temporary workarounds such as adding CSRF tokens to all administrative forms and implementing referer header validation. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious administrative activity patterns. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in legacy web applications, as many older CMS platforms may contain similar unpatched vulnerabilities that could be exploited by threat actors. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and access control measures to prevent unauthorized administrative access and protect against similar CSRF attacks across their digital infrastructure.