CVE-2025-55044: MuraCMS Trash Restore CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-55044 Overview

CVE-2025-55044 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting MuraCMS through version 10.1.10. The vulnerability exists in the Trash Restore functionality, allowing attackers to restore deleted content from the trash to unauthorized locations. The vulnerable cTrash.restore function lacks proper CSRF token validation, enabling malicious websites to forge requests that restore content to arbitrary parent locations when an authenticated administrator visits a crafted webpage.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation allows attackers to manipulate website content structure by restoring deleted items to inappropriate locations, potentially exposing sensitive documents, restoring malicious content, or compromising website integrity through unauthorized content restoration.

Affected Products

• MuraCMS through version 10.1.10
• MuraCMS installations with Trash Restore functionality enabled
• Any MuraCMS deployment where administrators access untrusted websites while authenticated

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-18 - CVE CVE-2025-55044 published to NVD
• 2026-03-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-55044

Vulnerability Analysis

This CSRF vulnerability (CWE-352) affects the content restoration mechanism within MuraCMS. The cTrash.restore function processes requests to restore previously deleted content without validating that the request originated from a legitimate user action within the MuraCMS administrative interface. This architectural weakness allows external websites to craft malicious forms that, when submitted by an authenticated administrator's browser, will be processed as legitimate restore operations.

The attack requires user interaction—specifically, an authenticated MuraCMS administrator must visit a malicious webpage while their session is active. The browser's automatic inclusion of session cookies with cross-origin requests enables the forged request to be authenticated and processed by the vulnerable endpoint.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-55044 is the absence of CSRF token validation in the cTrash.restore function. Modern web application security best practices require that state-changing operations validate a unique, unpredictable token to confirm the request originated from the application's own interface. Without this protection, the restore endpoint cannot distinguish between legitimate administrative actions and forged requests from external sites.

Attack Vector

The attack operates over the network and requires an authenticated administrator to visit an attacker-controlled or compromised website. The malicious page contains a hidden HTML form that targets the MuraCMS trash restore endpoint. This form includes the parentid parameter set to an attacker-specified location within the CMS content hierarchy. When the administrator visits the page, JavaScript automatically submits the form, causing the administrator's browser to send an authenticated request to MuraCMS that restores the targeted content to the specified location.

The exploitation flow proceeds as follows: The attacker first identifies content IDs in the trash (potentially through prior reconnaissance or guessing). They then craft a webpage with a hidden form targeting the restore endpoint with their chosen parentid destination. When an authenticated administrator visits this page, the content is silently restored to the attacker's specified location, which could be a public area, a sensitive section, or a location that disrupts the site's navigation structure.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-55044

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected content appearing in locations where it was not intentionally placed
• Audit log entries showing content restoration actions that administrators do not recall performing
• Previously deleted content reappearing in public-facing areas of the website
• Navigation structure changes that correlate with administrator browsing activity outside of MuraCMS

Detection Strategies

• Review MuraCMS audit logs for content restoration events and correlate with expected administrative activity
• Monitor for unusual patterns in content restoration timing, especially actions occurring shortly after administrators report visiting external websites
• Implement web application firewall rules to detect and alert on restore requests lacking valid referer headers from the MuraCMS domain

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all trash and content management operations in MuraCMS
• Configure alerts for content restoration to sensitive or public locations
• Establish baseline metrics for normal content restoration patterns to identify anomalous activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-55044

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade MuraCMS to version 10.14 or later, which addresses this vulnerability according to the Mura Software Version 10.14 Notes
• Instruct administrators to avoid visiting untrusted websites while authenticated to MuraCMS administrative sessions
• Consider implementing additional network-level CSRF protections through a web application firewall
• Review recent content restoration activity for any signs of unauthorized changes

Patch Information

MuraCMS has released security updates addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the Mura Software Release Notes for detailed upgrade instructions. The patch implements proper CSRF token validation for the trash restore functionality, ensuring that only requests originating from legitimate administrative sessions are processed.

Workarounds

• Deploy a web application firewall configured to validate referer headers and block cross-origin POST requests to administrative endpoints
• Restrict administrative access to trusted networks or require VPN connections to access the MuraCMS admin interface
• Implement browser-based protections such as using separate browser profiles for administrative tasks versus general browsing
• Consider temporarily disabling trash restore functionality until the patch can be applied, if operationally feasible

For environments where immediate patching is not possible, administrators should exercise extreme caution when browsing external sites while authenticated to MuraCMS. Using separate browser sessions or private browsing windows for administrative tasks can reduce exposure to CSRF attacks.