CVE-2018-18449 in EmpireCMS
Summary
by MITRE
EmpireCMS 7.5 allows CSRF for adding a user account via an enews=AddUser action to e/admin/user/ListUser.php, a similar issue to CVE-2018-16339.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18449 represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within EmpireCMS version 7.5 that specifically affects the user account management functionality. This issue resides in the administrative interface where the enews=AddUser action is processed through the e/admin/user/ListUser.php endpoint, making it possible for attackers to manipulate the system's user creation process without proper authorization. The flaw operates by tricking authenticated administrators into executing unintended actions through malicious web pages or emails that contain crafted requests to the vulnerable endpoint, thereby bypassing the normal security controls that should prevent unauthorized user additions.
This CSRF vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues in web applications. The technical implementation of this flaw allows attackers to construct malicious requests that appear legitimate to the CMS system, as they leverage the existing session and authentication context of authenticated administrators. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it directly impacts the system's user management capabilities, enabling unauthorized individuals to create new user accounts with potentially elevated privileges, which could lead to complete system compromise. The similarity to CVE-2018-16339 indicates a broader pattern of insecure direct object references and insufficient anti-CSRF protections within the CMS's administrative functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple user account creation, as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for further exploitation within the EmpireCMS environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could establish persistent access through newly created accounts, potentially gaining access to sensitive system data, administrative controls, or even using the compromised accounts to launch additional attacks against other systems. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where administrators are tricked into visiting malicious websites or clicking on compromised links that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable endpoint. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently visit untrusted websites or receive email communications from potentially compromised sources, as it requires minimal technical expertise to exploit.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the EmpireCMS administrative interface. The most effective approach involves implementing unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that must be validated before any privileged actions are executed, ensuring that requests originate from legitimate sources within the application. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, regular security auditing of administrative functions, and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. The remediation process requires updating the CMS to a version that properly implements CSRF protection measures, as the vulnerability exists in the core application logic and cannot be effectively addressed through configuration changes alone. According to ATT&CK framework tactic TA0001 (Initial Access) and technique T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application), this vulnerability represents a classic attack path for privilege escalation through exploitation of web application flaws, making it a critical concern for organizations maintaining CMS environments that have not been properly patched.