CVE-2022-23044 in Tiny File Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 11/25/2022
Tiny File Manager version 2.4.8 allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to persuade users to perform unintended actions within the application. This is possible because the application is vulnerable to CSRF.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2026
Tiny File Manager version 2.4.8 contains a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability that enables unauthenticated remote attackers to manipulate users into executing unintended actions within the application context. This vulnerability stems from the application's insufficient protection mechanisms against CSRF attacks, where malicious actors can craft deceptive requests that appear to originate from legitimate users. The flaw resides in the application's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms for state-changing operations, making it susceptible to exploitation through social engineering techniques. Attackers can construct malicious web pages or email attachments that, when visited by authenticated users, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable file manager application. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can enable attackers to perform critical operations such as file deletion, modification, or unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. According to ATT&CK framework, this represents a technique categorized under T1566.002 - Phishing for Information, where the CSRF attack serves as a delivery mechanism for malicious requests. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication to exploit, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can convince users to interact with malicious content. The affected application's lack of proper session validation and request origin checking creates an environment where attackers can manipulate user sessions without possessing valid credentials, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Organizations using this version of Tiny File Manager should immediately implement CSRF protection measures including the use of anti-CSRF tokens, proper request validation, and implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution.
The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture where state-changing operations lack proper authorization verification. When users authenticate to the file manager, their session remains active and trusted for subsequent operations, but the application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate user interactions rather than crafted malicious payloads. This weakness allows attackers to leverage the trust relationship between the browser and the application to execute unauthorized commands. The impact is particularly severe because Tiny File Manager is often used for managing sensitive files and directories, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for organizations relying on it for file management. The vulnerability can be exploited through multiple vectors including malicious websites, compromised email attachments, or even social media platforms where users might inadvertently trigger the malicious requests. Security researchers have noted that this type of vulnerability is common in legacy web applications that were not designed with modern security practices in mind, where CSRF protection mechanisms were either overlooked or inadequately implemented. The application's architecture does not enforce strict request validation, which is a critical security control recommended by OWASP and other industry standards for preventing CSRF attacks. Organizations should understand that this vulnerability represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where the application trusts all requests from authenticated users without proper verification of their legitimacy.
Mitigation strategies for this CSRF vulnerability in Tiny File Manager version 2.4.8 must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing anti-CSRF tokens for all state-changing operations, ensuring that each request contains a unique token that validates the user's intent and origin. This approach directly addresses the root cause by breaking the automatic execution of malicious requests that the vulnerability enables. Security teams should also implement proper referer header validation and origin checking to ensure that requests come from legitimate application sources rather than external malicious domains. The application should enforce strict request validation by requiring additional authentication factors for sensitive operations, particularly those involving file manipulation or system configuration changes. Organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers that restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and prevent the loading of external resources that could facilitate CSRF attacks. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's infrastructure. According to NIST cybersecurity guidelines, this type of vulnerability requires immediate attention due to its potential for significant impact, and organizations should implement layered defense mechanisms including web application firewalls, proper input validation, and regular security updates. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing security controls during the development lifecycle rather than addressing them as afterthoughts. Organizations should prioritize updating to patched versions of Tiny File Manager or implementing compensating controls until a proper upgrade can be completed. The security community has recognized CSRF vulnerabilities of this nature as particularly dangerous due to their ease of exploitation and potential for widespread impact across multiple user sessions.