CVE-2019-6779 in CScms
Summary
by MITRE
Cscms 4.1.8 allows admin.php/links/save CSRF to add, modify, or delete friend links.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-6779 affects Cscms version 4.1.8 and represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within the administrative interface. This issue specifically impacts the admin.php/links/save endpoint which handles friend link management operations. The vulnerability arises from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms in the administrative form processing functionality, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that can be executed on behalf of authenticated administrators.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the links/save endpoint which lacks sufficient validation to verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrative users. Attackers can construct malicious web pages or send crafted requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, will perform unauthorized operations such as adding malicious links, modifying existing friend links, or deleting legitimate entries. This represents a classic CSRF attack vector where the attacker leverages the administrator's session to execute unintended actions without their knowledge or consent.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to website integrity and security posture. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can manipulate the friend link section of the website to redirect users to malicious domains, potentially leading to phishing attacks or malware distribution. The ability to delete legitimate links can also cause disruption to the website's navigation and user experience. Furthermore, the addition of malicious links can serve as a vector for spreading malware or conducting social engineering attacks against website visitors. The vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete administrative compromise if combined with other attack vectors.
The weakness manifests as a failure to implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms, which aligns with CWE-352 - Cross-Site Request Forgery. This vulnerability can be mapped to several ATT&CK techniques including T1078 - Valid Accounts and T1566 - Phishing, as it can enable attackers to maintain persistence through manipulated link structures and potentially deliver malicious payloads through compromised friend links. Organizations should implement comprehensive CSRF protection measures including the use of anti-CSRF tokens, proper request validation, and implementing the principle of least privilege for administrative functions. The recommended mitigations include adding unique, unpredictable tokens to all administrative forms, implementing proper referer header validation, and ensuring that all administrative operations require explicit user confirmation through multi-factor authentication mechanisms. Additionally, regular security audits and input validation should be enforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other administrative endpoints.