CVE-2022-3267 in rdiffweb
Summary
by MITRE • 09/22/2022
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in GitHub repository ikus060/rdiffweb prior to 2.4.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3267 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the rdiffweb repository management system developed by ikus060. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.4.6 and exposes the application to unauthorized actions that can be executed on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The issue stems from the application's insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within its web interface. The flaw allows attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate users, potentially enabling unauthorized modifications to repository configurations, file operations, or user account settings.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability lies in the absence of robust origin validation mechanisms and anti-CSRF tokens in the application's request handling process. According to CWE-352, this represents a classic cross-site request forgery vulnerability where the web application fails to verify that requests originate from the same site that the user is currently interacting with. The rdiffweb application does not adequately implement the same-origin policy enforcement for critical operations, making it susceptible to attacks where malicious actors can leverage existing user sessions to perform unauthorized actions. The vulnerability specifically impacts the repository management functionality, where authenticated users can be tricked into executing unintended operations through crafted web requests that exploit the trust relationship between the user's browser and the application server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially compromise the integrity and confidentiality of repository contents. Attackers could leverage this flaw to modify repository settings, delete files, alter access controls, or even inject malicious content into the repository system. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that rdiffweb is designed for backup and synchronization operations, meaning compromised repositories could lead to data loss or unauthorized access to sensitive backup data. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1566.001 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers could exploit this flaw to escalate privileges or maintain persistence within the backup infrastructure. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to perform actions that would normally require legitimate user credentials, making it particularly dangerous in environments where repository administrators have elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-3267 should focus on implementing comprehensive CSRF protection mechanisms across the application's web interface. Organizations should immediately upgrade to rdiffweb version 2.4.6 or later, which includes proper anti-CSRF token implementation and origin validation. The solution involves implementing synchronized token validation where each request must contain a unique, unpredictable token that is tied to the user's session and validated server-side before processing. Additionally, developers should ensure that all state-changing operations require proper origin verification and that the application implements the principle of least privilege for repository operations. Security headers such as Content Security Policy (CSP) should also be implemented to further restrict cross-site requests and prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. Regular security assessments and input validation should be enforced to prevent similar issues from emerging in future releases, with particular attention to maintaining secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten security requirements.