CVE-2022-4646 in rdiffweb
Summary
by MITRE • 12/22/2022
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in GitHub repository ikus060/rdiffweb prior to 2.5.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4646 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in the rdiffweb repository management system developed by ikus060. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 2.5.4 and exposes the application to unauthorized actions that could be executed by malicious actors without user 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 technical implementation flaw manifests in the application's failure to properly verify the referer header or implement robust anti-CSRF mechanisms for sensitive operations. When users interact with the rdiffweb interface, particularly during administrative functions or repository modifications, the application does not adequately validate whether requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated users, exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and its users. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential harvesting through phishing attacks that could leverage this weakness.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables unauthorized modifications to repository configurations, user permissions, and potentially sensitive data within the rdiffweb environment. Attackers could exploit this flaw to perform actions such as creating new users, modifying existing repository settings, deleting files or directories, or altering access controls without proper authorization. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on rdiffweb for backup repository management, where unauthorized changes could result in data loss, compromised access controls, or disruption of backup operations. Given that rdiffweb is designed for managing backup repositories, the potential for data integrity compromise is particularly concerning.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-4646 involve upgrading to version 2.5.4 or later, which includes proper anti-CSRF token implementation and enhanced request validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as enforcing strict referer header validation, implementing Content Security Policy headers, and ensuring that all sensitive operations require explicit user confirmation. Security teams should conduct thorough testing to verify that the upgrade resolves the vulnerability and monitor application logs for any suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix typically involves implementing proper CSRF token generation and validation for all state-changing operations within the web application, which aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST cybersecurity frameworks for web application security.