CVE-2018-25186: Tina4 Stack CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2018-25186 Overview

Tina4 Stack 1.0.3 contains a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability that allows attackers to modify admin user credentials by submitting forged POST requests to the profile endpoint. Attackers can craft HTML forms targeting the /kim/profile endpoint with hidden fields containing malicious user data like passwords and email addresses to update administrator accounts without authentication.

Critical Impact

Attackers can hijack administrator accounts by tricking authenticated admins into visiting malicious pages, leading to complete administrative takeover of the Tina4 Stack application.

Affected Products

• Tina4 Stack version 1.0.3

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-06 - CVE CVE-2018-25186 published to NVD
• 2026-03-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2018-25186

Vulnerability Analysis

This cross-site request forgery vulnerability exists in the profile management functionality of Tina4 Stack 1.0.3. The application fails to implement proper anti-CSRF token validation when processing profile update requests, allowing attackers to forge requests that modify administrator credentials. When an authenticated administrator visits a malicious webpage containing a crafted form, the browser automatically includes the victim's session cookies with the forged request, causing the application to process the malicious update as if it were a legitimate administrative action.

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it targets the administrative profile endpoint, which handles sensitive operations including password and email address changes. Successful exploitation grants attackers persistent access to the administrative interface without requiring any prior authentication or direct access to the target system.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of CSRF protection mechanisms on the /kim/profile endpoint. The application does not validate the origin of incoming POST requests and fails to implement CSRF tokens that would verify the request originated from a legitimate form submission. This allows any external website to construct valid requests that the server will accept and process when submitted by an authenticated user.

Attack Vector

The attack leverages social engineering combined with the network-accessible nature of the vulnerability. An attacker creates a malicious HTML page containing a hidden form that targets the vulnerable /kim/profile endpoint. The form includes hidden input fields pre-populated with attacker-controlled values such as a new password and email address. When an authenticated Tina4 Stack administrator visits the malicious page, JavaScript can automatically submit the form, or the attacker can entice the admin to click a disguised button. The victim's browser sends the request along with valid session cookies, and the server processes the credential change without any additional verification.

The attack can be delivered through phishing emails, malicious advertisements, compromised websites, or any other method that causes an administrator to load the attacker's page while authenticated to the Tina4 Stack application.

Detection Methods for CVE-2018-25186

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected administrator profile changes including password or email modifications without corresponding legitimate user activity
• HTTP POST requests to /kim/profile originating from external referrer URLs or with missing/suspicious referer headers
• Multiple profile update requests in rapid succession from the same authenticated session
• Administrator account lockouts or password reset requests following user reports of visiting unfamiliar links

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web application logs for POST requests to the /kim/profile endpoint and correlate with expected administrative activity
• Implement alerting for profile modifications when the HTTP Referer header does not match the application domain
• Review authentication logs for administrator sessions that show profile changes immediately after requests to external resources
• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) with CSRF detection rules to identify and block suspicious form submissions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on the Tina4 Stack application to capture all profile modification events with source IP and session information
• Configure SIEM rules to detect anomalous administrative actions, particularly credential changes
• Implement real-time alerting for any changes to administrator accounts

How to Mitigate CVE-2018-25186

Immediate Actions Required

• Audit all administrator accounts for unauthorized modifications to passwords, email addresses, or other profile data
• Implement additional authentication requirements for sensitive profile changes, such as re-entering the current password
• Educate administrators about the risks of clicking unknown links while authenticated to the application
• Consider implementing IP-based access restrictions for administrative functions

Patch Information

Check the vendor's official channels for security updates addressing CVE-2018-25186. Review the VulnCheck Advisory on CSRF for the latest remediation guidance. Technical details about the vulnerability are documented in Exploit-DB #45834.

Workarounds

• Implement a reverse proxy or WAF with CSRF protection capabilities to validate request origins
• Add custom CSRF token validation through application middleware or server configuration
• Restrict administrative access to trusted networks or VPN connections only
• Use browser extensions that block cross-origin form submissions for sensitive administrative sessions

# Example: Configure reverse proxy to validate Referer header
# Add to your reverse proxy configuration to reject requests with external referers
# Note: This is a partial mitigation and should not replace proper CSRF token implementation
location /kim/profile {
    if ($http_referer !~* "^https?://your-trusted-domain\.com") {
        return 403;
    }
    proxy_pass http://backend;
}