CVE-2018-18921 in PHP Server Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
PHP Server Monitor before 3.3.2 has CSRF, as demonstrated by a Delete action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2023
PHP Server Monitor version 3.3.1 and earlier contains a cross-site request forgery vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. This vulnerability specifically affects the delete functionality within the application's administrative interface, where users can delete server monitoring entries. The flaw exists due to the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation in the delete action handler, enabling malicious actors to craft malicious requests that exploit the user's authenticated session. The vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery flaws as a critical security weakness that permits unauthorized commands to be executed in the context of an authenticated user. This weakness is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through social engineering techniques where users are tricked into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised websites that submit unauthorized delete requests to the PHP Server Monitor application. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data deletion, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's session management and request validation mechanisms. Attackers can leverage this weakness to delete critical server monitoring entries, potentially leading to loss of monitoring data or disruption of system oversight capabilities. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers phishing with malicious attachments, as attackers could craft malicious web pages that automatically submit delete requests to the target application. The attack requires minimal privileges since the application already authenticates the user, making the exploitation process more straightforward for threat actors. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in implementing proper input validation and session management controls that are essential for maintaining application integrity and user security. Organizations using PHP Server Monitor versions prior to 3.3.2 should immediately implement the available patch that introduces proper CSRF token validation. The fix typically involves generating unique tokens for each user session and validating these tokens against submitted requests before executing any destructive operations. Without such protection, the application remains vulnerable to automated attacks and manual exploitation attempts that could compromise the monitoring infrastructure and potentially lead to more severe security incidents. This vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing comprehensive security controls for all user-facing operations, particularly those that modify application state or delete data. The issue represents a classic example of how insufficient validation of user-supplied input and session integrity can create dangerous attack vectors that undermine the security posture of web applications. The patch for this vulnerability addresses the core issue by ensuring that all administrative actions require proper authentication tokens, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications to the application's data and configuration. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader assessment of the application's security controls and implement additional monitoring for suspicious administrative activities that could indicate exploitation attempts.