CVE-2023-45904 in Dreamer
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Dreamer CMS v4.1.3 was discovered to contain a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) via the component /variable/update.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/12/2026
Dreamer CMS version 4.1.3 contains a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability within its variable update component at the /variable/update endpoint. This flaw allows authenticated attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users by exploiting the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement anti-CSRF tokens or other validation measures that would ensure requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session context.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs when an authenticated user visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link that triggers a request to the vulnerable endpoint. Without proper token validation or referer checking, the CMS processes the request as if it originated from the legitimate user's browser session, enabling attackers to modify configuration variables or other sensitive data. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and undermines the integrity of user sessions within the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it can potentially lead to complete system compromise. Attackers could leverage this weakness to alter critical system parameters, manipulate user permissions, or even gain persistent access to the CMS administration interface. The vulnerability affects all authenticated users who have access to the variable update functionality, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators or users maintain the system. This flaw aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities, and represents a common pattern that has been documented across numerous web applications throughout the industry.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability must include the implementation of anti-CSRF tokens within all state-changing requests to the /variable/update endpoint. The CMS should generate unique tokens for each user session and validate them upon request submission, ensuring that requests originate from legitimate sources within the application's own domain. Additionally, implementing referer header validation and same-site cookie attributes would provide additional layers of protection against this attack vector. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities within their web applications. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of applying security controls consistently across all application components, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's web application security categories, where CSRF attacks are classified under the privilege escalation and persistence tactics.