CVE-2023-36162 in ZZCMS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/04/2023
Cross Site Request Forgery vulnerability in ZZCMS v.2023 alows a remote attacker to gain privileges via the add function in adminlist.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2026
This cross site request forgery vulnerability exists in ZZCMS version 2023 within the adminlist.php file where the add function lacks proper authentication and authorization checks. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate administrative actions without legitimate credentials, potentially enabling privilege escalation and unauthorized system modifications. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and missing anti-forgery tokens that should verify the legitimacy of administrative operations. According to CWE-352, this represents a classic cross site request forgery weakness where the application fails to validate that requests originate from authenticated administrative sessions. The attack vector exploits the lack of proper session management and CSRF protection mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access can lead to complete system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative users. The add function in adminlist.php processes administrative operations without verifying the authenticity of the request source or confirming that the user possesses appropriate privileges. This allows unauthorized individuals to perform administrative tasks such as creating new user accounts, modifying existing records, or altering system configurations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the administrative layer where sensitive operations are performed, and it lacks the standard protections that should exist for privileged functions. The absence of proper CSRF token validation means that an attacker can leverage social engineering tactics to trick administrators into executing malicious requests through embedded links or compromised websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized modifications to critical application components. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain persistent access to the administrative interface, enabling them to manipulate application data, inject malicious code, or establish backdoors for continued access. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire application ecosystem, as administrative privileges typically provide access to sensitive user data, configuration settings, and system resources. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and can enable lateral movement within the application environment. The attack can be executed through various means including phishing campaigns, compromised websites, or direct exploitation of the vulnerable endpoint.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust anti-forgery token mechanisms and strengthening authentication checks within the adminlist.php file. The application should require valid session tokens and validate the originating source of all administrative requests before processing any add operations. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and request origin verification can prevent unauthorized administrative actions. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The fix should align with industry standards such as OWASP Top Ten recommendations for CSRF protection and should include comprehensive testing to ensure that all administrative functions properly validate user privileges and request authenticity. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other administrative endpoints that may not have proper CSRF protections in place.