CVE-2023-4869 in Contact Manager App
Summary
by MITRE • 09/10/2023
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Contact Manager App 1.0. It has been rated as problematic. Affected by this issue is some unknown functionality of the file update.php. The manipulation leads to cross-site request forgery. The attack may be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. VDB-239354 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4869 represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within the SourceCodester Contact Manager App version 1.0, demonstrating a critical weakness in web application security architecture. This vulnerability resides within the update.php file, which serves as a critical component for modifying contact information within the application's administrative interface. The flaw allows malicious actors to manipulate the application's functionality through crafted requests that can execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and is actively being exploited, as indicated by its assignment to VDB-239354, which represents a significant risk to organizations relying on this contact management system.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper request validation mechanisms within the update.php file, creating an environment where attackers can forge requests that appear legitimate to the application server. This weakness specifically aligns with CWE-352, which defines Cross-Site Request Forgery as a security vulnerability that allows an attacker to trick authenticated users into executing unwanted actions on a web application. The flaw operates by exploiting the browser's automatic inclusion of authentication cookies with every request to the same domain, enabling attackers to craft malicious requests that leverage existing user sessions without requiring knowledge of authentication credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform unauthorized modifications to contact records, potentially leading to data corruption, information disclosure, or even complete system compromise if the application's administrative functions are not properly isolated. Remote exploitation capabilities mean that attackers can launch attacks from any location with internet access, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for web applications that lack proper network segmentation or additional authentication layers. The attack vector operates through the manipulation of HTTP requests that target the vulnerable update.php endpoint, potentially allowing for account takeovers, data deletion, or the injection of malicious contact information that could be used for further attacks.
Organizations utilizing the SourceCodester Contact Manager App version 1.0 must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including the implementation of anti-CSRF tokens within all state-changing requests and the enforcement of proper request origin validation. The recommended defensive measures align with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which focuses on credential harvesting through social engineering, as attackers may use this vulnerability to establish persistent access through manipulated contact data. Additional security controls should include input validation, proper session management, and the implementation of Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and the need for proper application hardening practices, particularly for open-source applications that may not receive regular security updates from their maintainers.