CVE-2023-37650

Vulnerability

Overview

CVE-2023-37650 describes a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Admin portal of Cockpit CMS version 2.5.2. The root cause is the lack of CSRF token validation on internal API calls in the admin interface [1]. This allows an attacker to craft malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, perform unintended actions on their behalf. The issue was reported to the vendor on 2023/06/08 and was addressed in the subsequent release [1][4].

Exploitation and

Attack Surface

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication on the part of the attacker but relying on tricking an already-authenticated admin user into visiting a malicious page or clicking a crafted link. No special privileges beyond the victim's existing admin session are needed. The attacker can exploit the lack of CSRF protection to perform any action available to the admin, such as modifying site content, creating new users, or executing arbitrary commands [1]. This is possible because the admin portal does not validate CSRF tokens, making it susceptible to forged requests [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary administrator commands, effectively gaining full control of the Cockpit CMS instance. This could lead to data theft, site defacement, or further compromise of the server if the CMS is used in a broader infrastructure. The impact is considered high due to the potential for complete control over the application.

Mitigation and

Patching

The vulnerability has been patched in Cockpit CMS version 2.6.0, which adds CSRF token validation to internal API calls [1][4]. Users are strongly advised to upgrade to this or a later version. For those unable to upgrade immediately, implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block suspicious requests or enforcing same-origin policy checks may serve as temporary mitigation. The vendor recommends keeping the application updated and configuring security keys properly [1].