CVE-2018-9108 in QuickAppsCMS
Summary
by MITRE
CSRF in /admin/user/manage/add in QuickAppsCMS 2.0.0-beta2 allows an unauthorized remote attacker to create an account with admin privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9108 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the QuickAppsCMS 2.0.0-beta2 content management system. This weakness exists in the administrative user management component at the path /admin/user/manage/add, where the application fails to properly validate and enforce anti-CSRF protections during account creation processes. The flaw enables malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and its authenticated users, potentially allowing unauthorized remote attackers to execute arbitrary actions on behalf of legitimate administrators without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper CSRF token validation within the user management interface. When administrators navigate to the account creation page, the system should generate and require a unique, time-bound token that must be submitted along with any account creation requests. Without this validation mechanism, an attacker can craft malicious web pages or email attachments that contain embedded requests to the vulnerable endpoint, tricking authenticated administrators into unknowingly creating new administrator accounts. This flaw directly maps to CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities as those that permit unauthorized actions to be performed by victims who are authenticated to the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching within the QuickAppsCMS environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this weakness can elevate their privileges from regular user to administrator level, gaining complete control over the content management system. This includes the ability to modify or delete content, alter user permissions, install malicious plugins, access sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised system as a launching point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on QuickAppsCMS for their web presence, as it undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the application's administrative interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-9108 should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the QuickAppsCMS application. The most effective immediate solution involves ensuring that all administrative actions require valid CSRF tokens that are generated per session and validated upon submission. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and authentication checks that verify the legitimacy of requests before processing them. Additionally, security measures such as rate limiting on account creation attempts, enhanced monitoring of administrative activities, and regular security audits of web applications should be implemented. The remediation process aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which addresses valid accounts and credential access, as this vulnerability essentially allows attackers to gain unauthorized access through the manipulation of legitimate administrative functions. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and security headers to further protect against similar exploitation vectors. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining proper session management and input validation controls, particularly within administrative interfaces where the potential for privilege escalation exists.