CVE-2025-2220 in Odyssey
Summary
by MITRE • 03/12/2025
A vulnerability was found in Odyssey CMS up to 10.34. It has been classified as problematic. Affected is an unknown function of the file /modules/odyssey_contact_form/odyssey_contact_form.php of the component reCAPTCHA Handler. The manipulation of the argument g-recaptcha-response leads to key management error. Local access is required to approach this attack. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/12/2025
This vulnerability resides within Odyssey CMS version 10.34 and earlier, specifically targeting the reCAPTCHA handler component located in the modules directory. The flaw manifests in the odyssey_contact_form.php file where the g-recaptcha-response parameter is processed without adequate validation or sanitization. This represents a critical security oversight that allows for improper handling of CAPTCHA responses, potentially undermining the security controls designed to prevent automated abuse of contact forms. The vulnerability is classified as a key management error, indicating that the system fails to properly validate or process authentication tokens that should be required for legitimate form submissions. The attack requires local access, meaning an attacker must already have compromised system credentials or physical access to execute the exploit, though this limitation does not diminish the severity of the underlying flaw.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the reCAPTCHA handler function, which processes the g-recaptcha-response argument without sufficient security checks. This creates an environment where malicious actors can manipulate the CAPTCHA token validation process, potentially allowing unauthorized form submissions or bypassing security measures designed to prevent spam or automated attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and CWE-312, which addresses exposure of sensitive information through improper handling of authentication tokens. The flaw demonstrates poor secure coding practices where the application fails to properly validate the integrity and authenticity of CAPTCHA responses before accepting them as legitimate proof of human interaction.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple form spamming, as it represents a potential pathway for more sophisticated attacks that could leverage the compromised CAPTCHA system. Attackers could potentially exploit this flaw to bypass rate limiting controls, submit malicious content through contact forms, or use the vulnerability as a stepping stone for further system compromise. The fact that this exploit has been publicly disclosed and is reportedly in use indicates that threat actors have already identified and weaponized this weakness. Organizations running affected versions of Odyssey CMS face significant risk of unauthorized access to their contact form systems, which could be used for spam campaigns, data exfiltration, or as a vector for more comprehensive attacks against the broader system infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as problematic suggests it could enable privilege escalation or persistent access if not properly addressed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the Odyssey CMS to version 10.35 or later, where the reCAPTCHA handler has been properly secured. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of contact form access patterns and CAPTCHA validation failures to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be reinforced to limit local system access where possible, as the vulnerability requires local privileges to exploit. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious CAPTCHA response manipulation attempts. The vulnerability's disclosure without vendor response highlights the importance of maintaining security awareness and having contingency plans for situations where vendors fail to provide timely patches. Security teams should conduct thorough assessments of all contact form and CAPTCHA implementations across their systems to identify similar vulnerabilities that may have been overlooked. This incident underscores the critical need for proper input validation and secure authentication token handling practices, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1212 which addresses exploitation of software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and persistent access.