CVE-2020-28846 in SeaCMS
Summary
by MITRE • 08/17/2021
Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability exists in SeaCMS 10.7 in admin_manager.php, which could let a malicious user add an admin account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2021
The CVE-2020-28846 vulnerability represents a critical cross site request forgery flaw in SeaCMS version 10.7, specifically within the admin_manager.php component. This vulnerability stems from the application's inadequate protection mechanisms against forged requests that originate from unauthorized sources. The flaw allows malicious actors to manipulate the administrative interface and create new administrator accounts without proper authentication, effectively compromising the entire content management system's security posture. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it directly targets the administrative functionality of the CMS, which serves as the primary control point for system configuration and user management.
From a technical perspective, this CSRF vulnerability manifests due to the absence of proper anti-forgery tokens or validation mechanisms in the admin_manager.php script. When administrators perform administrative tasks through the web interface, the application should verify that requests originate from legitimate sources and contain appropriate validation tokens. However, in SeaCMS 10.7, these protective measures are insufficient or completely missing, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated administrators. The vulnerability operates by tricking authenticated users into executing unintended administrative actions through carefully crafted web requests that leverage the user's existing session credentials. This type of flaw falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in software applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation. An attacker who successfully exploits CVE-2020-28846 can establish persistent administrative access to the SeaCMS system, enabling them to modify content, alter user permissions, access sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network. The ability to add new administrator accounts provides attackers with a backdoor that can persist even after the initial exploitation attempt, making the compromise particularly dangerous for organizations relying on this CMS for their web presence. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete system compromise, as administrative access typically grants full control over all system functions and data.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework, particularly under the privilege escalation and persistence tactics. The exploitation of this CSRF flaw aligns with techniques that involve leveraging web application vulnerabilities to gain elevated system access. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the addition of anti-forgery tokens to all administrative requests, proper session management controls, and comprehensive input validation. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all administrative actions require unique, unpredictable tokens that are validated server-side before execution, preventing attackers from crafting valid requests that can manipulate the system. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security audits of their CMS installations to identify similar vulnerabilities and implement proper access controls that enforce proper authentication and authorization mechanisms for all administrative functions.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper security controls in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions. The lack of CSRF protection in SeaCMS 10.7 represents a fundamental security failure that can be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of following established security best practices such as the principle of defense in depth, where multiple layers of protection work together to prevent successful exploitation attempts. Organizations should prioritize updating their CMS installations to versions that address this vulnerability, while also implementing network-level protections and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for security awareness and the importance of maintaining current security patches across all web applications to prevent unauthorized access and system compromise.