CVE-2018-7733 in YxtCMF
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in YxtCMF 3.1. RbacController.class.php has CSRF, as demonstrated by modifying an administrator account via index.php/admin/user/add_post.html.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7733 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the YxtCMF 3.1 content management framework. This weakness exists in the RbacController.class.php file, which governs role-based access control functionality within the system. The vulnerability specifically manifests when administrators interact with the user management interface at index.php/admin/user/add_post.html, where malicious actors can exploit the lack of proper anti-CSRF protections to manipulate administrator accounts. The flaw stems from the application's failure to validate request origins and implement anti-CSRF tokens for critical administrative operations, creating a pathway for unauthorized modifications to privileged user accounts.
This vulnerability operates under the CWE-352 classification as a Cross-Site Request Forgery, which falls within the broader category of web application security weaknesses that permit attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The specific attack vector involves crafting malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions, leveraging the trust relationship between the web application and its authenticated users. The operational impact extends beyond simple account modification, as compromising administrator credentials can lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistent unauthorized access. Attackers can exploit this weakness to escalate privileges, modify user permissions, or even inject malicious code into the application environment.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which focuses on valid accounts and credential access through the exploitation of weak session management or authentication bypass mechanisms. The flaw represents a significant risk to organizations relying on YxtCMF 3.1, particularly those with limited security monitoring or patch management processes. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise and can be automated through readily available attack frameworks, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently access the system. Organizations with multiple administrative accounts or those using the framework for mission-critical applications face heightened risk due to the potential for cascading security failures when administrator accounts are compromised.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms across all administrative endpoints, including the specific user management interface mentioned in the vulnerability description. The recommended approach involves adding unique, time-based tokens to all state-changing requests and validating these tokens server-side before processing any administrative operations. Additionally, implementing proper referer header validation and implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional layers of protection. Organizations should also establish robust patch management procedures to ensure timely updates of the YxtCMF framework, as this vulnerability has been addressed in subsequent releases. Network segmentation and monitoring of administrative access patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify the implementation of CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the application's administrative interfaces.