CVE-2025-13394 in Identity Server
Summary
by MITRE • 08/06/2026
The Ajax processor within the Carbon console fails to adequately protect state-changing operations from Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks. Specifically, it utilizes the HTTP GET method for these operations, and while the SameSite=Lax cookie attribute is employed for mitigation, this mechanism is bypassed as it permits cookies to be sent with cross-origin top-level navigation requests, including GET requests. This allows an attacker to trick an authenticated user's browser into unknowingly executing unintended actions.
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to perform unauthorized state-altering requests on behalf of authenticated users. This could lead to consequences such as data modification, account changes, or other actions that could result in data compromise or loss of user control over their account. However, this attack is only feasible if the Carbon console and related services are exposed to the public internet, which is not recommended according to WSO2's security guidelines.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2026
The vulnerability described represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness within the Carbon console's Ajax processing mechanism, fundamentally undermining the security of state-changing operations. This flaw stems from the improper use of HTTP GET methods for operations that should inherently be protected against unauthorized execution, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate authenticated user sessions without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation exhibits a fundamental misunderstanding of CSRF protection principles, as the system relies on SameSite=Lax cookie attributes as a primary defense mechanism. However, this approach fails due to the inherent limitations of the SameSite attribute, which explicitly permits cookies to be sent with cross-origin top-level navigation requests including GET requests. This bypass occurs because SameSite=Lax only prevents cookies from being sent in certain contexts but does not provide comprehensive protection against all forms of CSRF attacks, particularly when legitimate navigation flows are involved.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data integrity concerns, as it enables attackers to perform unauthorized state-altering actions that could result in significant security breaches. Authenticated users become unwitting participants in malicious activities, with potential consequences ranging from unauthorized data modifications and account alterations to complete loss of user control over their accounts. The severity is amplified by the fact that these operations can be executed through simple web requests, making exploitation relatively straightforward for attackers with minimal technical expertise.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery flaws in web applications, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links. The attack vector specifically exploits the trust relationship between the user's browser and the Carbon console, leveraging the authenticated session to execute unauthorized operations.
The mitigation strategy requires implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms beyond reliance on SameSite attributes alone. This includes implementing anti-forgery tokens that must be validated for each state-changing request, ensuring that all such operations utilize POST methods instead of GET methods, and establishing comprehensive input validation and session management controls. Additionally, organizations should enforce network segmentation to prevent direct public exposure of administrative consoles, as recommended by WSO2 security guidelines, thereby reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries.
The fundamental flaw in this implementation demonstrates a critical gap in security design that violates established best practices for web application security. Proper CSRF protection requires multiple layers of defense including token validation, method restriction, and comprehensive session management rather than relying on single-factor protections like SameSite attributes alone. This vulnerability serves as an example of how insufficient understanding of web security principles can create exploitable conditions that compromise user sessions and system integrity across enterprise applications.