CVE-2022-3582 in Simple Cold Storage Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 10/18/2022
A vulnerability has been found in SourceCodester Simple Cold Storage Management System 1.0 and classified as problematic. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality. The manipulation of the argument change password leads to cross-site request forgery. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The identifier VDB-211189 was assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/10/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-3582 resides within the SourceCodester Simple Cold Storage Management System version 1.0, representing a critical cross-site request forgery weakness that undermines the system's authentication security mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically targets the password change functionality, where an attacker can manipulate the change password argument to execute unauthorized actions. The flaw operates at the web application level and demonstrates a fundamental failure in implementing proper request validation and authentication controls, making it a direct violation of security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and the CWE-352 category for Cross-Site Request Forgery. The vulnerability's classification as remotely exploitable means that attackers do not require physical access or local network privileges to leverage this weakness, significantly expanding the attack surface and potential impact.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate the origin and authenticity of password change requests. When a user navigates to the password change interface, the system should implement anti-CSRF tokens or similar mechanisms to ensure that requests originate from legitimate user interactions. However, in this case, the application accepts password change requests without adequate verification, allowing malicious actors to craft specially crafted requests that can be executed on behalf of authenticated users. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through spearphishing attachments and T1531 for Account Access Removal, as unauthorized modifications to user credentials can lead to complete account compromise. The vulnerability's disclosure in public repositories and the assignment of identifier VDB-211189 indicates that security researchers have already identified and documented this flaw, making it readily available for exploitation by threat actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it can enable attackers to gain persistent access to the cold storage management system and potentially escalate privileges within the broader network infrastructure. Once an attacker successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability, they can modify user passwords without authorization, effectively locking out legitimate users while simultaneously gaining unauthorized access to sensitive cold storage data and operational controls. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and can result in significant data integrity breaches, particularly concerning temperature monitoring and storage management records that are critical for maintaining proper cold storage conditions. The vulnerability's exploitation can also facilitate lateral movement within networks where the cold storage system integrates with other infrastructure components, as compromised credentials may provide access to interconnected systems and databases. Organizations utilizing this system face potential regulatory compliance violations and operational disruptions, particularly in industries where cold storage management is critical for pharmaceutical, food safety, or scientific research applications.
Mitigation strategies for this CSRF vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security hardening measures. The primary recommendation involves implementing robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms that are generated per user session and validated on every password change request, effectively preventing unauthorized modifications from external sources. Additionally, organizations should enforce proper HTTP headers including Content Security Policy and X-Frame-Options to prevent embedding the application in malicious frames. The system should also implement rate limiting and session management controls to detect and prevent automated exploitation attempts. Security patches should be deployed immediately, and the application should undergo comprehensive security testing including penetration testing and code review processes to identify similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also establish monitoring procedures to detect unusual password change patterns and implement proper user access controls with role-based permissions to minimize the potential impact of credential compromise. This remediation approach aligns with NIST SP 800-53 security controls and the CWE mitigation strategies for CSRF vulnerabilities, ensuring that the system maintains proper authentication integrity and user session security throughout the entire application lifecycle.