CVE-2024-55893 in TYPO3
Summary
by MITRE • 01/14/2025
TYPO3 is a free and open source Content Management Framework. A vulnerability has been identified in the backend user interface functionality involving deep links. Specifically, this functionality is susceptible to Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF). Additionally, state-changing actions in downstream components incorrectly accepted submissions via HTTP GET and did not enforce the appropriate HTTP method. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires the victim to have an active session on the backend user interface and to be deceived into interacting with a malicious URL targeting the backend, which can occur under the following conditions: The user opens a malicious link, such as one sent via email. The user visits a compromised or manipulated website while the following settings are misconfigured: 1. `security.backend.enforceReferrer` feature is disabled, 2. `BE/cookieSameSite` configuration is set to lax or none. The vulnerability in the affected downstream component “Log Module” allows attackers to remove log entries. Users are advised to update to TYPO3 versions 11.5.42 ELTS, 12.4.25 LTS, 13.4.3 LTS which fix the problem described. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-55893 affects TYPO3 content management frameworks and represents a critical Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) flaw within the backend user interface functionality. This vulnerability specifically targets the deep link handling mechanisms and exposes the system to unauthorized state changes through maliciously crafted requests. The flaw stems from improper validation of HTTP methods in downstream components, where state-changing actions incorrectly accept submissions via HTTP GET requests rather than enforcing the appropriate POST method. This design weakness creates a significant security gap that allows attackers to manipulate backend operations without proper authorization. The vulnerability operates under the premise that an attacker must first establish a victim's active session within the TYPO3 backend environment, making it particularly dangerous in scenarios where users frequently interact with potentially compromised websites or receive malicious emails containing crafted links.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the security model's enforcement mechanisms, specifically violating the principle of least privilege and proper input validation. The affected downstream component, the Log Module, provides an attack surface where malicious actors can exploit the CSRF vulnerability to remove critical log entries, effectively compromising audit trails and system integrity monitoring. This particular weakness aligns with CWE-352, which defines Cross-Site Request Forgery as a condition where a web application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources. The vulnerability's exploitation requires specific misconfigurations to be present on the target system, including the disabling of the `security.backend.enforceReferrer` feature and improper configuration of `BE/cookieSameSite` settings set to lax or none. These conditions create a perfect storm where the application's built-in security protections are circumvented, allowing attackers to execute unauthorized actions under the guise of authenticated users. The use of HTTP GET requests for state-changing operations directly contravenes the fundamental security principle that operations modifying system state should be restricted to POST or PUT methods, as specified in various web application security frameworks.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-55893 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to manipulate critical backend functionality through seemingly innocuous interactions. When users visit compromised websites or click malicious links, the vulnerability allows for the execution of destructive actions such as log entry deletion, which can obscure security incidents and hinder forensic investigations. The attack vector requires social engineering elements to succeed, as users must be tricked into interacting with malicious URLs while maintaining an active backend session, making this vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against in environments where users frequently interact with external web content. Organizations implementing TYPO3 systems are vulnerable to various attack scenarios including data manipulation, audit trail tampering, and potential escalation of privileges. The vulnerability's exploitation directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering attacks, and T1078, which addresses valid accounts usage, as the attack leverages legitimate user sessions to perform unauthorized operations. The severity of the impact increases when considering that log entries removal can mask malicious activities, creating false security baselines and potentially allowing attackers to maintain persistence within the system undetected.
The recommended remediation approach involves upgrading to the patched versions of TYPO3, specifically versions 11.5.42 ELTS, 12.4.25 LTS, and 13.4.3 LTS, which contain the necessary fixes to address both the CSRF validation issues and the improper HTTP method handling. These updates implement proper CSRF token validation mechanisms and enforce correct HTTP method usage for state-changing operations, thereby closing the security gap that allowed attackers to exploit the system. The absence of known workarounds for this vulnerability emphasizes the critical nature of immediate patch deployment, as organizations cannot rely on temporary mitigations to protect against this specific threat vector. Security administrators should also review and correct the misconfigurations mentioned in the vulnerability description, particularly ensuring that the `security.backend.enforceReferrer` feature remains enabled and that `BE/cookieSameSite` settings are properly configured to strict mode. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to verify that the patched versions maintain system functionality while addressing the identified security weaknesses. Organizations should also conduct security awareness training to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability. The fix addresses the underlying architectural issues that allowed GET requests to be processed as state-changing operations and implements proper validation controls that align with industry best practices for web application security.