CVE-2025-0669 in Server
Summary
by MITRE • 05/07/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in BOINC Server allows Cross Site Request Forgery.This issue affects BOINC Server: before 1.4.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2025
The CVE-2025-0669 vulnerability represents a critical Cross-Site Request Forgery flaw within the BOINC Server platform, a distributed computing framework designed to harness volunteer computing resources for scientific research. This vulnerability specifically impacts versions prior to 1.4.3, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on BOINC for computational tasks. The issue stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the server-side processing mechanisms. The BOINC Server framework operates by managing computational tasks across distributed networks of volunteer computers, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to exploit weaknesses in the authentication and authorization processes. The vulnerability allows malicious actors to craft forged requests that appear legitimate to the server, potentially enabling unauthorized actions within the system.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs through the absence of proper request validation mechanisms that would normally verify the authenticity of incoming requests. In a typical CSRF attack scenario, an attacker can trick a logged-in user into executing unintended actions against a web application where they are authenticated. The BOINC Server's failure to implement robust anti-CSRF measures means that legitimate requests can be manipulated by attackers who craft malicious payloads that exploit the trust relationship between the user's browser and the server. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically targets the server's handling of user sessions and authentication tokens. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-352, which defines Cross-Site Request Forgery as a weakness where a web application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized operations such as modifying user settings, submitting computational tasks, or potentially accessing restricted administrative functions.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-0669 extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially compromise entire distributed computing projects. Organizations utilizing BOINC Server for scientific research, including projects like SETI@home, ClimatePrediction.net, or World Community Grid, face significant risks when operating vulnerable versions. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could alter computational assignments, manipulate results, or gain unauthorized access to administrative controls that manage the distributed computing infrastructure. The attack vector typically involves embedding malicious code within web pages or email attachments that, when viewed by an authenticated user, automatically submit forged requests to the BOINC Server. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers phishing and social engineering methods used to gain initial access to systems. The impact on research integrity is particularly concerning as it could compromise the validity of scientific computations and potentially disrupt ongoing research projects that depend on the distributed computing resources.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to BOINC Server version 1.4.3 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address the CSRF vulnerability. The recommended approach involves deploying proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms that generate unique tokens for each user session and validate these tokens with every request. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and ensuring proper SameSite cookie attributes can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious request patterns should also be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other systems that might be running vulnerable versions of BOINC Server. The mitigation strategy should also include user education about the risks of clicking suspicious links and the importance of maintaining current software versions. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be performed to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other components of the distributed computing infrastructure. The implementation of these security measures aligns with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 requirements for secure application development and operational security.