CVE-2019-9688 in sftnow
Summary
by MITRE
sftnow through 2018-12-29 allows index.php?g=Admin&m=User&a=add_post CSRF to add an admin account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9688 affects the sftnow application version through 2018-12-29 and represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that enables unauthorized administrative account creation. This vulnerability resides within the application's index.php file where the g=Admin&m=User&a=add_post parameter chain allows malicious actors to exploit the lack of proper anti-CSRF protection mechanisms. The flaw specifically targets the administrative user management functionality, permitting an attacker to execute privileged operations without proper authentication or authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the administrative user creation endpoint. When an authenticated 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 token validation. This design flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a critical failure in input validation and session management controls. The vulnerability operates under CWE-352 which categorizes cross-site request forgery as a weakness where the application fails to verify the origin of requests, making it susceptible to unauthorized actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and potentially catastrophic for affected organizations. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can create administrative accounts with full privileges within the application, effectively gaining complete control over the system. This allows for unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion, system configuration changes, and potential lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring any prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application is accessible from the internet. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where administrators are tricked into visiting malicious websites, or through direct exploitation if the application is exposed to untrusted networks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the application's administrative interfaces. The most effective approach involves implementing unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that must be validated on every state-changing request. These tokens should be generated server-side, transmitted to the client, and verified upon each request submission. Organizations should also implement proper input validation, session management controls, and ensure that administrative functions require additional authentication factors beyond simple session-based authentication. The solution aligns with ATT&CK framework technique T1078 which addresses legitimate credentials and T1548 which covers abuse of service accounts. Additionally, implementing proper web application firewall rules to monitor for suspicious parameter patterns and establishing regular security testing procedures including penetration testing and code reviews can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and regularly updating and patching all application components to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future versions.