CVE-2020-19951 in YzmCMS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/24/2021
A cross-site request forgery (CSRF) in /controller/pay.class.php of YzmCMS v5.5 allows attackers to access sensitive components of the application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-19951 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the YzmCMS v5.5 content management system. This vulnerability exists within the pay.class.php controller file, which handles payment processing functionalities within the application. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation, allowing malicious actors to exploit the system's trust relationship with legitimate users.
Cross-site request forgery attacks exploit the implicit trust that web applications place in users' browsers by leveraging the fact that browsers automatically include authentication cookies with every request to a domain. In this specific instance, the pay.class.php component fails to verify that incoming requests originate from the legitimate application interface rather than from malicious third-party websites. The vulnerability manifests when authenticated users navigate to compromised sites that contain crafted requests targeting the YzmCMS payment processing endpoints, enabling unauthorized transactions or administrative actions without proper user consent.
The operational impact of this CSRF vulnerability extends beyond simple financial loss, as it provides attackers with access to sensitive components within the application's payment processing system. This exposure could potentially enable unauthorized users to initiate fraudulent transactions, modify payment configurations, or access restricted administrative functions. The vulnerability particularly affects web applications that handle monetary transactions, making it a prime target for financial fraud and exploitation. Attackers could leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized payments, manipulate user accounts, or gain elevated privileges within the CMS environment.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws in web applications. The flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531, which describes the use of unauthorized commands to manipulate application functionality. Mitigation strategies must include implementing robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms throughout the application's payment processing workflows, enforcing strict origin validation checks, and ensuring that all state-changing operations require explicit user confirmation. Additionally, organizations should implement proper session management, utilize secure headers, and conduct regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across their web application portfolios. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of CSRF protection in financial and administrative components of web applications, particularly those handling sensitive user data and monetary transactions.