CVE-2019-7874 in Magento
Summary
by MITRE
A cross-site request forgery vulnerability exists in Magento 2.1 prior to 2.1.18, Magento 2.2 prior to 2.2.9, Magento 2.3 prior to 2.3.2. This can result in unintended deletion of user roles.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2020
This cross-site request forgery vulnerability in Magento versions prior to the specified patches represents a critical security flaw that allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically affects Magento 2.1.x versions before 2.1.18, Magento 2.2.x versions before 2.2.9, and Magento 2.3.x versions before 2.3.2, creating a widespread impact across multiple Magento 2 release lines. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-forgery token implementation in the administrative user role management functionality, making it particularly dangerous for systems where administrators have elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the user role deletion endpoints within Magento's administrative interface. When an authenticated administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the attacker can trigger a forged request that appears legitimate to the Magento application because it lacks proper origin validation. This allows unauthorized deletion of user roles, which can severely compromise the security posture of the entire Magento installation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1566.001 for Phishing, as it leverages authenticated sessions to execute malicious actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data loss, as the deletion of user roles can completely undermine administrative access controls and potentially lead to full system compromise. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can remove critical administrator roles, effectively locking out legitimate users while potentially creating backdoor access points through role recreation. This makes the vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking persistent access to e-commerce platforms, as it directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can lead to privilege escalation scenarios. The risk is compounded by the fact that many Magento installations store sensitive customer data and transactional information, making unauthorized access to administrative functions a severe business impact.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor patches for Magento 2.1.18, 2.2.9, and 2.3.2, which introduce proper CSRF token validation and origin checking mechanisms. Network-level protections such as implementing Content Security Policy headers and Web Application Firewall rules can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Administrators should also review and restrict administrative access through network segmentation, implement multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and conduct regular security audits of user role configurations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and origin verification in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces where the potential for damage is greatest. This case highlights the necessity for comprehensive security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities in web applications.