CVE-2023-6784 in Sitefinity
Summary
by MITRE • 12/20/2023
A malicious user could potentially use the Sitefinity system for the distribution of phishing emails.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-6784 represents a significant security flaw within the Sitefinity content management system that enables malicious actors to exploit the platform for unauthorized email distribution activities. This weakness specifically targets the email functionality and user permissions mechanisms within Sitefinity, creating an avenue for attackers to leverage legitimate system components for malicious purposes. The vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and validation measures that allow unauthorized users to manipulate the email distribution system, potentially bypassing normal security restrictions that should prevent such activities.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious user gains access to a Sitefinity system with sufficient privileges to interact with email functionality. The flaw typically manifests through improper input validation and insufficient authorization checks within the email distribution modules. Attackers can manipulate system parameters or user roles to gain the ability to send phishing emails through the legitimate Sitefinity infrastructure, effectively using the platform as a conduit for social engineering attacks. This exploitation pattern aligns with common attack vectors described in the attack technique matrix under technique T1566 for phishing and T1071 for application layer protocols, where attackers leverage legitimate system services to conduct malicious activities.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-6784 extends beyond simple unauthorized email sending, as it enables sophisticated phishing campaigns that can significantly damage organizational reputation and compromise user security. When attackers utilize legitimate Sitefinity infrastructure for phishing operations, the emails appear to originate from trusted sources, making them more likely to succeed in deceiving recipients. This vulnerability creates a trust exploitation scenario where the malicious emails carry the authentic appearance of legitimate communications from the organization, potentially leading to credential theft, financial fraud, or data exfiltration. The attack surface expands to include not just the immediate system compromise but also the potential for widespread credential compromise across the organization's user base.
Organizations utilizing Sitefinity systems must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including enhanced access controls, role-based permissions reviews, and comprehensive monitoring of email distribution activities. Security measures should focus on validating all user interactions with email functionality and implementing strict authorization checks before allowing email sending operations. The mitigation strategy should incorporate principle of least privilege enforcement, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access email distribution features within the system. Additionally, organizations should deploy email monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous email patterns and automatically alert security teams to potential abuse of the system. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining proper access control mechanisms as outlined in the CWE catalog under weakness category 284 for improper access control, and represents a critical security gap that requires immediate attention to prevent potential large-scale phishing campaigns that could compromise significant portions of an organization's user community.