CVE-2019-9040 in S-CMS PHP
Summary
by MITRE
S-CMS PHP v3.0 has a CSRF vulnerability to add a new admin user via the admin/ajax.php?type=admin&action=add URI, a related issue to CVE-2018-19332.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9040 affects S-CMS PHP version 3.0 and represents a cross-site request forgery flaw that enables unauthorized users to escalate their privileges by adding new administrator accounts. This vulnerability specifically targets the admin/ajax.php endpoint with parameters type=admin and action=add, which are designed to handle administrative user creation functions within the content management system. The flaw arises from the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms in the affected web application, allowing malicious actors to craft deceptive requests that appear legitimate to the victim's browser. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it directly impacts the system's access control mechanisms and could lead to complete compromise of the web application's administrative functionality.
This CSRF vulnerability operates by exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and the user's browser, where the application does not validate the origin of requests made to administrative endpoints. The flaw falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1548.002 for Abuse of Cloud Compute Infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to create new administrative accounts without proper authentication, effectively bypassing the application's authentication and authorization controls. When exploited, this vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise as attackers gain administrative privileges that permit them to modify content, access sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised system as a launchpad for further attacks within the network.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access to the web application and potentially use it as a foothold for broader network infiltration. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to create accounts with full administrative privileges, allowing them to modify website content, steal sensitive information, and manipulate system configurations. The vulnerability affects the application's integrity and availability, as unauthorized users can potentially disrupt services or corrupt data through their newly gained administrative capabilities. Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability is part of a broader pattern of web application flaws that can be exploited through CSRF attacks, and it highlights the critical importance of implementing robust anti-CSRF protections in web applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include implementing proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms that validate the authenticity of requests made to administrative endpoints. The application should generate unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session and validate these tokens on all state-changing requests. Additionally, implementing the SameSite cookie attributes and ensuring proper referer header validation can provide additional layers of protection. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting and monitoring mechanisms to detect suspicious administrative account creation activities. The vulnerability's relationship to CVE-2018-19332 suggests that similar patterns of weakness may exist in related components, requiring comprehensive security assessments. Updates to the S-CMS PHP version and implementation of proper input validation and access control measures are essential remediation steps that should be prioritized to address this vulnerability and prevent unauthorized administrative access to the web application.