CVE-2019-10784 in phppgadmin
Summary
by MITRE
phppgadmin through 7.12.1 allows sensitive actions to be performed without validating that the request originated from the application. One such area, "database.php" does not verify the source of an HTTP request. This can be leveraged by a remote attacker to trick a logged-in administrator to visit a malicious page with a CSRF exploit and execute arbitrary system commands on the server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-10784 affects phppgadmin versions through 7.12.1 and represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness that undermines the application's security model. This flaw resides in the database.php component where the application fails to validate the origin of HTTP requests, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and its authenticated users. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper request validation mechanisms that should verify whether requests originate from legitimate application interfaces rather than external malicious sources. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious web pages that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, can execute unauthorized actions on behalf of the user without their knowledge or consent. The security implications are particularly severe because the vulnerability can be exploited to perform sensitive administrative operations that may lead to complete system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The flaw operates by exploiting the trust relationship that exists between the web application and its users, where legitimate requests from authenticated sessions are not properly validated for their source authenticity. When an administrator visits a malicious page containing crafted requests, the application processes these requests as if they originated from the legitimate application interface, bypassing normal authentication and authorization checks. This particular vulnerability in database.php demonstrates a failure in implementing proper anti-CSRF tokens or referer validation mechanisms that should be present in any security-conscious web application. The absence of such protections creates an environment where attackers can manipulate the application's behavior through carefully constructed malicious requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to execute arbitrary system commands on the underlying server hosting phppgadmin. This capability allows for complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the vulnerable application resides. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication, as it only necessitates the administrator to visit a malicious webpage, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently browse the internet or visit untrusted websites. The vulnerability can be exploited to perform actions such as creating new database users, modifying existing database configurations, executing system commands, and potentially accessing sensitive data stored within the PostgreSQL databases managed by phppgadmin. The risk is amplified by the fact that these operations occur with the privileges of the authenticated administrator, potentially allowing for full system control and data manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the affected application. The most effective approach involves incorporating proper CSRF token validation in all sensitive operations, ensuring that each request contains a unique, unpredictable token that can only be generated by the legitimate application. Additionally, implementing referer header validation and origin checking can help prevent unauthorized requests from being processed. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to further restrict the sources from which requests can originate. The recommended solution is to upgrade to a patched version of phppgadmin that addresses this vulnerability, as the maintainers have released updates that include proper request validation mechanisms. System administrators should also conduct thorough security assessments of their web applications to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities, implementing security best practices such as the principle of least privilege and regular security audits to prevent exploitation of similar weaknesses in other components.