CVE-2019-25259: Leica GNSS CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25259 Overview

CVE-2019-25259 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting Leica Geosystems GNSS receivers including the GR10, GR25, GR30, and GR50 models running firmware version 4.30.063. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to trick authenticated users into performing administrative actions without proper request validation. By crafting malicious web pages, attackers can exploit the trust relationship between the user's browser and the vulnerable device, potentially leading to unauthorized configuration changes or administrative operations on critical GNSS infrastructure.

Critical Impact

Attackers can leverage this CSRF vulnerability to manipulate GNSS receiver settings, potentially disrupting geolocation services, surveying operations, or critical infrastructure that relies on precise positioning data.

Affected Products

• Leica Geosystems GR10 GNSS Receiver (Firmware 4.30.063)
• Leica Geosystems GR25 GNSS Receiver (Firmware 4.30.063)
• Leica Geosystems GR30 GNSS Receiver (Firmware 4.30.063)
• Leica Geosystems GR50 GNSS Receiver (Firmware 4.30.063)

Discovery Timeline

• 2019 - Vulnerability disclosed via Zero Science Lab Advisory ZSL-2019-5502
• 2026-01-08 - CVE CVE-2019-25259 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25259

Vulnerability Analysis

This Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability (CWE-352) exists in the web management interface of affected Leica Geosystems GNSS receivers. The application fails to implement proper anti-CSRF tokens or validate the origin of incoming requests, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that are executed in the context of an authenticated administrator's session.

When a logged-in administrator visits a malicious web page controlled by an attacker, their browser automatically sends valid session cookies along with the forged request to the GNSS receiver's web interface. Since the application cannot distinguish between legitimate user-initiated requests and forged ones, it processes the malicious request with full administrative privileges.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the absence of CSRF protection mechanisms in the Leica Geosystems GNSS receiver web interface. The application does not implement:

• Anti-CSRF tokens (synchronizer tokens) to validate request authenticity
• SameSite cookie attributes to prevent cross-origin request attacks
• Origin or Referer header validation to verify request sources

Without these protections, any authenticated session is vulnerable to cross-site request exploitation when the user browses malicious content while logged into the device.

Attack Vector

The attack follows a network-based vector requiring user interaction. An attacker must convince an authenticated administrator to visit a malicious webpage while their session with the GNSS receiver is active. The attack can be delivered through:

• Phishing emails containing links to malicious pages
• Compromised websites visited by target administrators
• Malicious advertisements on legitimate websites
• Social engineering tactics to direct users to attacker-controlled content

The malicious page contains hidden forms or JavaScript that automatically submits requests to the GNSS receiver's administrative endpoints, executing actions such as configuration changes, user management, or firmware operations without the administrator's knowledge or consent.

Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available at Exploit-DB #46090 and Packet Storm Security.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25259

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected configuration changes on GNSS receivers without corresponding administrator activity
• Administrative actions logged from unusual source IP addresses or at irregular times
• Multiple rapid administrative requests originating from a single session within a short timeframe
• Browser history on administrator workstations showing visits to suspicious or unknown websites prior to unauthorized changes

Detection Strategies

• Implement network monitoring to detect anomalous web traffic patterns to GNSS receiver management interfaces
• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) capable of identifying and blocking potential CSRF attack patterns
• Enable comprehensive logging on GNSS receivers to track all administrative actions and correlate with user activity
• Monitor for HTTP requests to administrative endpoints that lack proper Referer headers from the expected management domain

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure SIEM rules to alert on administrative changes to GNSS receivers outside of authorized maintenance windows
• Establish baseline normal administrative activity patterns and alert on deviations
• Implement session monitoring to detect concurrent or suspicious session usage patterns
• Review access logs regularly for signs of automated or scripted administrative requests

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25259

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to GNSS receiver web management interfaces to authorized IP addresses only
• Implement network segmentation to isolate GNSS infrastructure from general user networks
• Train administrators to maintain separate browser sessions for critical infrastructure management
• Consider disabling web-based management when not actively in use

Patch Information

Contact Leica Geosystems for firmware updates that address this vulnerability. Check the Leica Geosystems website for security bulletins and updated firmware releases. Additionally, review the IBM X-Force Vulnerability Database for updated mitigation guidance.

Workarounds

• Place GNSS receiver management interfaces behind a VPN requiring separate authentication
• Configure firewall rules to restrict web interface access to specific management workstations
• Use dedicated browser profiles or virtual machines exclusively for GNSS receiver administration
• Implement browser extensions that enforce strict origin policies and block cross-site requests to internal resources
• Log out of GNSS receiver sessions immediately after administrative tasks are complete

# Network isolation example - restrict web interface access
# Configure firewall to allow only specific management hosts
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s 192.168.10.5 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 192.168.10.5 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP