CVE-2019-9915 in GetSimpleCMS
Summary
by MITRE
GetSimpleCMS 3.3.13 has an Open Redirect via the admin/index.php redirect parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9915 affects GetSimpleCMS version 3.3.13 and represents a critical open redirect flaw that can be exploited by malicious actors to deceive users and potentially facilitate phishing attacks. This vulnerability exists within the administrative interface of the content management system where the redirect parameter in the admin/index.php endpoint fails to properly validate or sanitize user input. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate the redirect functionality to send users to arbitrary external domains, effectively creating a trust relationship between the legitimate CMS interface and malicious websites.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the redirect parameter handling mechanism. When administrators or users navigate to the admin/index.php page with a malicious redirect parameter, the application does not adequately verify that the target URL belongs to the legitimate domain. This oversight creates an opportunity for attackers to craft deceptive links that appear to originate from the trusted CMS domain while actually directing users to attacker-controlled websites. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited without requiring authentication or special privileges, making it particularly dangerous for widespread impact.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection attacks and can significantly compromise user security and organizational integrity. Attackers can leverage this flaw to create convincing phishing campaigns that exploit the trust users place in the legitimate CMS interface, potentially leading to credential theft, malware distribution, or further exploitation attempts. The vulnerability affects the core administrative functionality of GetSimpleCMS, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive administrative areas or enabling attackers to manipulate user sessions. This open redirect vulnerability can also be chained with other attacks to create more sophisticated exploitation scenarios, making it a valuable target for threat actors seeking to establish persistent access or conduct broader security breaches.
Organizations using GetSimpleCMS version 3.3.13 should immediately implement mitigations including input validation and sanitization of all redirect parameters, implementing strict domain whitelisting for redirect destinations, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious redirect attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 open redirect vulnerability classification and corresponds to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under initial access and credential access categories. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as content security policies and regular security audits to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack.