CVE-2020-26802 in forma.lms
Summary
by MITRE • 10/09/2020
forma.lms 2.3.0.2 is affected by Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in formalms/appCore/index.php?r=lms/profile/show&ap=saveinfo via a GET request to change the admin email address in order to accomplish an account takeover.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-26802 affects forma.lms version 2.3.0.2 and represents a critical cross site request forgery flaw that can be exploited to achieve unauthorized account takeover. This vulnerability exists within the application's profile management functionality where the system fails to properly validate and authenticate requests modifying administrative email addresses. The flaw specifically manifests in the URL path formalms/appCore/index.php?r=lms/profile/show&ap=saveinfo which processes GET requests without adequate CSRF protection mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to construct crafted requests that can modify administrative account details without proper authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or other validation mechanisms within the affected endpoint. When an administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the browser automatically executes the GET request to the vulnerable endpoint, modifying the administrative email address without requiring re-authentication or token validation. This behavior violates fundamental security principles outlined in CWE-352, which categorizes CSRF vulnerabilities as weaknesses that allow attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it directly targets administrative accounts, providing attackers with elevated privileges and potential full system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple email address modification, as it enables complete account takeover capabilities that can result in unauthorized access to sensitive system data, modification of critical configurations, and potential lateral movement within the affected network. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain persistent access to the learning management system, potentially accessing student records, course materials, and other confidential information. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no privileged credentials from the victim, relying solely on social engineering to trick administrators into visiting malicious sites or clicking on compromised links. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which describes the use of credentials from password reuse to maintain access to compromised systems, and T1078 which covers valid accounts as a means to gain access to systems.
The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate implementation of proper CSRF protection mechanisms such as anti-CSRF tokens that must be validated on each request modification. The application should enforce token-based authentication for all profile modification endpoints, particularly those handling administrative privileges. Additionally, the system should implement proper request validation and ensure that all modifications to administrative accounts require explicit re-authentication or secondary verification. Security patches should be applied to upgrade the forma.lms application to a version that addresses this vulnerability, and administrators should conduct thorough security assessments of their systems to identify similar weaknesses in other components. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent unauthorized modification attempts, while establishing regular security audits to identify and remediate similar CSRF vulnerabilities across their application portfolio.