Overview
A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability has been identified in PublicCMS version V5.202506.b, specifically affecting the CkEditorAdminController. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2025-65840. CSRF vulnerabilities allow attackers to trick authenticated users into performing actions they did not intend to perform, potentially leading to unauthorized modifications or data breaches within the PublicCMS system.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the CkEditorAdminController of PublicCMS. Due to the lack of sufficient CSRF protection, an attacker can craft a malicious web page that, when visited by an authenticated user, will trigger unintended actions within the PublicCMS application. This might involve modifying CMS settings, creating or deleting content, or even escalating privileges depending on the user’s permissions.
The vulnerability occurs because the application does not adequately verify that the request originated from a legitimate user action within the application itself. An attacker can exploit this by embedding malicious code (e.g., an image tag or JavaScript) within a seemingly harmless website or email. When a logged-in PublicCMS user visits this malicious content, the browser automatically sends a request to the vulnerable endpoint, using the user’s existing session cookie. The PublicCMS server, unaware that the request originated from a malicious source, executes the command.
CVSS Analysis
Currently, the severity and CVSS score for CVE-2025-65840 are listed as N/A. However, the potential impact of a successful CSRF attack can be significant. Although a CVSS score is unavailable, organizations are advised to treat this vulnerability with appropriate seriousness, considering the potential for unauthorized actions and data manipulation.
A proper CVSS score assessment will require a deeper analysis of the attack vector, complexity, required privileges, and potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Possible Impact
A successful exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability can lead to several negative consequences:
- Unauthorized Content Modification: Attackers could modify or delete existing content on the PublicCMS website.
- Privilege Escalation: If an administrator account is compromised, attackers might escalate their privileges.
- Account Takeover: In certain configurations, it may be possible to take over user accounts.
- Data Breaches: Sensitive information managed by PublicCMS could be exposed.
- Website Defacement: The attacker could deface the website, impacting the organization’s reputation.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
To mitigate this CSRF vulnerability, the following steps are recommended:
- Apply the Patch (If Available): Check the PublicCMS website and update to the latest version. Contact the vendor (sanluan) for patch availability information.
- Implement CSRF Tokens: Implement CSRF tokens in the
CkEditorAdminControllerand any other sensitive endpoints. These tokens should be unique per user session and included in all requests that modify data. The server should verify the presence and validity of these tokens before processing the request. - Use SameSite Cookies: Configure the application to use SameSite cookies to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks. This can be done by setting the
SameSiteattribute toStrictorLax. - Educate Users: Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links or visiting untrusted websites, especially when logged into PublicCMS.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Consider deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to detect and block malicious requests that attempt to exploit this vulnerability.
