CVE-2019-9549 in PopojiCMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in PopojiCMS v2.0.1. It has CSRF via the po-admin/route.php?mod=user&act=addnew URI, as demonstrated by adding a level=1 account, a similar issue to CVE-2018-18935.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9549 represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within PopojiCMS version 2.0.1 that specifically affects the administrative user management functionality. This issue exists in the po-admin/route.php?mod=user&act=addnew endpoint, which allows unauthorized users to perform administrative actions without proper authentication or authorization. The vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate the CMS by creating new user accounts with elevated privileges, specifically demonstrating the ability to add accounts with level=1 access rights, which typically corresponds to administrative or superuser permissions within the application's role-based access control system. This represents a significant security weakness that directly undermines the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms in the user creation form. When an administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the browser automatically submits a request to the vulnerable endpoint without requiring user interaction or authentication. This flaw operates under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and aligns with the broader category of web application security flaws that compromise the integrity of user sessions and administrative functions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows attackers to escalate privileges within the CMS by creating administrative accounts, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within the CMS environment. Once an attacker successfully exploits this CSRF flaw, they can create accounts with level=1 privileges that grant them access to administrative panels, content management interfaces, and potentially sensitive system configurations. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts with administrative privileges, and represents a critical vector for attackers seeking to establish long-term access to web applications. The similarity to CVE-2018-18935 demonstrates a pattern of persistent security flaws in the PopojiCMS framework, indicating a lack of proper security testing or input validation across multiple components of the application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper CSRF protection mechanisms, including the deployment of unique, unpredictable anti-CSRF tokens that are validated on each request to the administrative user creation endpoint. Organizations should also implement proper session management controls, ensure that all administrative actions require explicit user confirmation, and establish robust input validation to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities throughout the application's codebase, particularly focusing on administrative interfaces and user management functions that handle sensitive operations. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper access controls can further reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of such flaws.