CVE-2019-12437 in SilverStripe
Summary
by MITRE
In SilverStripe through 4.3.3, the previous fix for SS-2018-007 does not completely mitigate the risk of CSRF in GraphQL mutations,
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2019-12437 represents a persistent cross-site request forgery weakness in the SilverStripe content management system that affects versions through 4.3.3. This issue stems from an incomplete remediation of a previously identified vulnerability SS-2018-007, which was supposed to address GraphQL mutation CSRF concerns. The flaw demonstrates how security patches can sometimes be insufficient or improperly implemented, leaving systems vulnerable to attacks that could be exploited by malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically targets GraphQL mutations within the SilverStripe framework, which are used to modify data through structured queries that can execute complex operations including creating, updating, or deleting content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the GraphQL endpoint handling mechanisms of SilverStripe where the framework fails to properly validate or authenticate mutation requests that could be initiated from external domains. This occurs because the original fix for SS-2018-007 was designed to address certain CSRF vectors but did not comprehensively cover all potential attack paths within the GraphQL mutation system. The flaw allows attackers to craft malicious requests that could be executed by authenticated users when they visit compromised web pages, leveraging the trust relationship between the user and the SilverStripe application. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and represents a critical weakness in the application's security controls that could enable unauthorized data manipulation and potential system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-12437 is significant for organizations using affected SilverStripe versions, as it allows attackers to perform unauthorized modifications to content management systems through GraphQL interfaces. An attacker could potentially execute destructive mutations that alter or delete content, modify user permissions, or manipulate database entries without proper authorization. This vulnerability could lead to data integrity issues, content tampering, and potential system compromise if the GraphQL mutations provide access to sensitive administrative functions. The risk is particularly concerning because GraphQL endpoints often provide powerful data manipulation capabilities that can affect multiple system components, and the CSRF nature of the vulnerability means that attacks could be executed through social engineering or by luring users to malicious websites. Organizations may face reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues, and potential data breaches if this vulnerability is exploited in production environments.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to SilverStripe versions that contain proper CSRF protections for GraphQL mutations, typically those released after the initial patch for SS-2018-007. The recommended mitigation involves implementing comprehensive CSRF token validation mechanisms that properly verify the origin of GraphQL mutation requests and ensure that all requests originate from legitimate sources within the application context. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging of GraphQL endpoint activities to detect anomalous mutation patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of thorough security testing and validation of security patches, as well as the need for continuous security assessment of application frameworks. Organizations should also review their broader security posture to ensure that similar CSRF vulnerabilities do not exist in other parts of their applications, particularly in APIs and endpoints that support complex data manipulation operations. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this vulnerability under the T1213 technique for Data from Information Repositories, as it enables unauthorized access to content management systems and database manipulation through legitimate user sessions.