CVE-2024-49674 in EKC Tournament Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/31/2024
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Lukas Huser EKC Tournament Manager allows Upload a Web Shell to a Web Server.This issue affects EKC Tournament Manager: from n/a through 2.2.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2025
This Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability in Lukas Huser EKC Tournament Manager represents a critical security flaw that enables unauthorized remote code execution through web shell upload capabilities. The vulnerability exists within the tournament management software version range from an unspecified initial version through 2.2.1, creating a persistent risk for all affected deployments. The CSRF flaw allows attackers to manipulate authenticated users into executing unintended actions without their knowledge or consent, specifically targeting the file upload functionality that should be protected against unauthorized access attempts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of request origins and missing anti-CSRF tokens within the file upload endpoints. When authenticated users navigate to maliciously crafted web pages or are tricked into clicking on compromised links, the application fails to properly verify that requests originate from legitimate sources. This allows attackers to construct forged requests that leverage the user's existing authentication session to upload malicious web shell files to the target server. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which defines Cross-Site Request Forgery as a weakness where applications fail to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to enable full server compromise through remote code execution. Once a web shell is successfully uploaded, attackers gain persistent access to the compromised system, allowing them to execute arbitrary commands, exfiltrate sensitive data, establish backdoors, and potentially escalate privileges within the network. The affected EKC Tournament Manager environment becomes a potential pivot point for further attacks, as the web shell provides a stable command and control interface that can be used to maintain long-term access. Organizations running this software face significant risks including data breaches, service disruption, and potential regulatory compliance violations.
Mitigation strategies for this CSRF vulnerability must address both immediate protection and long-term security improvements. Organizations should implement proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms across all state-changing operations, particularly file upload functions, and ensure that these tokens are validated server-side for every request. The application should enforce strict origin validation and implement Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. Additionally, file upload restrictions should be enforced through multiple layers including MIME type validation, file extension filtering, and mandatory virus scanning of uploaded content. Regular security updates and patches should be applied immediately upon availability, while network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unauthorized file upload activities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation, aligning with OWASP Top Ten security controls and defense-in-depth strategies recommended for preventing similar CSRF attacks in web applications.