CVE-2019-16059 in Sentrifugo
Summary
by MITRE
Sentrifugo 3.2 lacks CSRF protection. This could lead to an attacker tricking the administrator into executing arbitrary code at index.php/dashboard/viewprofile via a crafted HTML page.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-16059 affects Sentrifugo version 3.2 and represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that compromises the application's security integrity. This weakness resides in the application's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF mechanisms, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to manipulate administrative functions. The vulnerability specifically manifests in the dashboard viewprofile functionality at index.php/dashboard/viewprofile, where an attacker can construct malicious HTML pages that deceive administrators into performing unintended actions. The absence of CSRF protection mechanisms means that legitimate administrative requests can be hijacked and executed without proper authorization from the authenticated user.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic CSRF attack pattern where an attacker crafts a malicious webpage containing embedded requests that target the vulnerable Sentrifugo application. When an authenticated administrator visits this malicious page, their browser automatically submits requests to the vulnerable endpoint without their knowledge or consent. This attack vector leverages the browser's automatic handling of cookies and session data, which are automatically included with every request to the target domain. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate administrative functions that should require explicit user consent and authentication, potentially enabling full administrative control over the application. According to CWE-352, this represents a classic cross-site request forgery vulnerability where the application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources rather than being initiated by malicious third parties.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially enable complete system compromise through administrative privileges. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions, potentially leading to user account manipulation, data exfiltration, system configuration changes, or even complete system takeover. The attack requires minimal technical expertise since it relies on social engineering techniques to trick administrators into visiting malicious pages rather than requiring complex exploitation methods. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently browse untrusted websites or where phishing attacks are common. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it targets the dashboard viewprofile functionality, which is likely accessed frequently by administrators, increasing the probability of successful exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-16059 should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the application. Organizations should immediately deploy CSRF tokens that are generated for each user session and validated with every state-changing request to ensure that requests originate from legitimate sources within the application. The implementation should follow established security best practices including the use of unique, unpredictable tokens for each request and proper validation of token authenticity. Additionally, implementing proper content security policies and ensuring that applications enforce strict origin validation can significantly reduce the risk of CSRF attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to technique T1078 which involves valid accounts and T1566 which covers social engineering, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the attack vector. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious request patterns that might indicate CSRF attack attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across the entire application stack. The fix requires immediate attention as the vulnerability exists in the application's core functionality and provides attackers with a straightforward path to administrative access without requiring complex exploitation techniques or privileged access.