CVE-2018-18712 in WUZHI
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in WUZHI CMS 4.1.0. There is a CSRF vulnerability that can change the super administrator's username via index.php?m=member&f=index&v=edit&uid=1.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18712 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within WUZHI CMS version 4.1.0, specifically targeting the administrative account management functionality. This vulnerability exists in the member management module where the application fails to implement proper anti-CSRF protection mechanisms when processing administrative user account modifications. The affected endpoint index.php?m=member&f=index&v=edit&uid=1 allows unauthorized modification of user accounts, particularly targeting the super administrator account with uid=1, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to escalate privileges within the content management system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or other validation mechanisms within the affected form processing logic. When an administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the attacker can construct a request that automatically submits modifications to the super administrator's account without the user's knowledge or consent. This flaw operates under the principle that the application trusts requests originating from authenticated sessions without sufficient validation of the request source or authenticity. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1548.001 for Abuse of Functionality, as it enables unauthorized privilege escalation through legitimate administrative interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it directly compromises the integrity and confidentiality of the entire content management system. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability can change the super administrator's username to one controlled by the attacker, effectively gaining persistent access to the most privileged account within the system. This modification can be combined with other attacks to completely take over the CMS administration, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or deployment of malicious content. The vulnerability affects all users of WUZHI CMS 4.1.0 and represents a significant risk to organizations relying on this platform for their web presence, as the attack requires minimal technical skill and can be executed through simple web-based techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of anti-CSRF token validation across all administrative functions within the CMS. The fix requires adding unique, unpredictable tokens to each administrative form submission that must be validated server-side before processing any modifications. Organizations should also implement proper session management with secure cookie attributes, ensure that administrative functions require additional authentication factors beyond simple session validation, and consider implementing rate limiting on administrative endpoints. Additionally, the system should be updated to the latest version of WUZHI CMS where this vulnerability has been patched, and regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar issues in other administrative interfaces. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability pattern.