CVE-2018-18794 in School Event Management System
Summary
by MITRE
School Event Management System 1.0 allows CSRF via user/controller.php?action=edit.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2025
The School Event Management System version 1.0 contains a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability that exposes the application to unauthorized administrative actions. This vulnerability exists within the user/controller.php script where the edit action parameter is processed without proper validation or anti-CSRF token implementation. The flaw allows attackers to execute unauthorized operations on behalf of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms. When a user accesses the edit action endpoint through user/controller.php?action=edit, the system processes requests without verifying the authenticity of the request source or validating the presence of anti-CSRF tokens. This design flaw aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities where applications fail to validate request origins or implement proper token-based protection. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through malicious web pages or email attachments that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable endpoint.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to perform administrative actions without authentication. An attacker could craft a malicious webpage that, when visited by an authenticated user, automatically submits edit requests to modify user accounts, change system settings, or manipulate event data. This could result in unauthorized access to sensitive educational information, data corruption, or complete system takeover. The vulnerability particularly affects school administrators and staff who maintain the system, potentially leading to privacy breaches and disruption of educational services. According to ATT&CK framework, this represents a privilege escalation technique through web application exploitation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms including the generation and validation of unique tokens for each user session. The application must validate request origins and implement proper session management controls. Additionally, input validation should be strengthened to prevent unauthorized parameter manipulation, and all user-facing endpoints should require proper authentication verification before executing any administrative functions. Regular security testing and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The system should also implement proper logging and monitoring of administrative activities to detect unauthorized access attempts. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and security headers to further protect against such exploitation vectors.