CVE-2018-25174 Overview
CVE-2018-25174 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting ABC ERP version 0.6.4. The vulnerability exists in the _configurar_perfil.php script, which lacks proper anti-CSRF token validation. This allows attackers to craft malicious forms or links that, when clicked by an authenticated administrator, can modify administrator credentials including username, password, name, and email settings without proper authorization.
Critical Impact
Attackers can hijack administrator accounts by tricking authenticated admins into clicking malicious links, leading to complete administrative access compromise of the ABC ERP system.
Affected Products
- ABC ERP version 0.6.4
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-03-06 - CVE CVE-2018-25174 published to NVD
- 2026-03-09 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2018-25174
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified as CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery). The core issue stems from the _configurar_perfil.php script accepting and processing profile modification requests without verifying the request origin through anti-CSRF tokens. The vulnerable endpoint processes parameters including usuario, contrasena1, contrasena2, nombre, and email to update administrator account settings.
When an authenticated administrator visits a page controlled by an attacker (or is tricked into clicking a malicious link), the attacker's crafted request is submitted to the vulnerable endpoint using the administrator's active session credentials. The ABC ERP application cannot distinguish between legitimate requests initiated by the administrator and forged requests originating from malicious third-party sites.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is the absence of anti-CSRF protection mechanisms in the _configurar_perfil.php endpoint. The application fails to implement security tokens that would verify the legitimacy of state-changing requests. Without these tokens, the server cannot verify that a request was intentionally submitted by the authenticated user through the legitimate application interface.
Attack Vector
The attack is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker would craft a malicious HTML form or link containing the target administrator's desired new credentials. This payload could be delivered via email, embedded in a website, or distributed through social engineering channels. When an authenticated ABC ERP administrator interacts with the malicious content while having an active session, the forged request is automatically submitted to the vulnerable endpoint, executing the credential change with the victim's privileges.
The attack can be executed through hidden forms that auto-submit via JavaScript, invisible iframes, or even simple image tags with crafted source URLs for GET-based CSRF attacks.
Detection Methods for CVE-2018-25174
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected modifications to administrator account credentials without corresponding legitimate change requests
- Web server logs showing requests to _configurar_perfil.php with referrer headers from external or unknown domains
- Multiple rapid credential change attempts from different IP addresses during a single administrator session
- User reports of unexpected password reset notifications or inability to log in after visiting external links
Detection Strategies
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block requests to _configurar_perfil.php with suspicious or missing referrer headers
- Monitor and alert on credential modification events in ABC ERP, correlating with session metadata and request sources
- Deploy network traffic analysis to identify cross-origin requests targeting administrative endpoints
- Configure logging to capture full request details for the affected endpoint including headers and parameters
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable comprehensive access logging for all administrative endpoints in ABC ERP
- Implement real-time alerting for any changes to administrator accounts
- Monitor for unusual session patterns where administrative actions occur shortly after external site visits
- Review referrer logs periodically to identify potential CSRF attack attempts against administrative functions
How to Mitigate CVE-2018-25174
Immediate Actions Required
- Restrict access to ABC ERP administrative interfaces to trusted internal networks only
- Implement a reverse proxy or WAF with CSRF protection capabilities in front of the ABC ERP application
- Educate administrators about CSRF risks and advise against clicking untrusted links while authenticated
- Consider implementing network segmentation to isolate the ERP system from general internet access
Patch Information
No official vendor patch information is available in the CVE data. Organizations should consult the VulnCheck Advisory for the latest remediation guidance. Technical details are also available in the Exploit-DB entry #45836.
Workarounds
- Add custom CSRF token validation to the _configurar_perfil.php script if source code modification is possible
- Configure the web server or WAF to validate the Referer header for requests to administrative endpoints, blocking requests from external origins
- Implement SameSite=Strict cookie attributes to prevent cookies from being sent in cross-origin requests
- Use browser-based security headers such as Content-Security-Policy to restrict form submissions to same-origin destinations
Organizations should implement these mitigations as defense-in-depth measures while awaiting or evaluating a formal patch from the vendor.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
