CVE-2024-0425 is a vulnerability identified in the ForU CMS product, specifically affecting versions up to 2020-06-23. The vulnerability resides in the password recovery functionality located at the endpoint /admin/index.php?act=reset_admin_psw. Classified under CWE-640 (Weak Password Recovery Mechanism), this flaw allows an attacker to remotely initiate the password reset process without requiring authentication or user interaction. The weakness stems from insufficient controls or protections in the password recovery workflow, which could enable an attacker to reset the administrator password or otherwise compromise account integrity. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact confidentiality or availability, it compromises the integrity of the administrator account, potentially allowing unauthorized changes to the CMS configuration or content. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based (remote), requires no privileges or user interaction, but the impact is limited to integrity. No patches or fixes have been published yet, and while no known exploits are currently observed in the wild, the exploit details have been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of exploitation in the near future. Organizations using ForU CMS versions prior to or including 2020-06-23 should consider this vulnerability a significant risk to their administrative security posture.

For European organizations utilizing ForU CMS, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to the integrity of their web content management systems. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to reset administrator passwords remotely, leading to unauthorized administrative access. This could result in defacement, insertion of malicious content, or further pivoting into internal networks. Given the CMS’s role in managing web content and potentially sensitive data, such unauthorized access could damage organizational reputation, disrupt business operations, and lead to compliance issues under regulations like GDPR if personal data is exposed or manipulated. The lack of confidentiality and availability impact reduces the risk of data leakage or service downtime directly from this vulnerability, but the integrity compromise is sufficient to warrant immediate attention. European organizations with public-facing ForU CMS installations are particularly at risk, as the attack requires no authentication and can be launched remotely over the network.

Since no official patches are currently available, European organizations should implement compensating controls immediately. These include restricting access to the /admin/index.php endpoint via network-level controls such as IP whitelisting or VPN-only access to the administration interface. Implementing web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious password reset requests can reduce exposure. Organizations should also enforce strong, unique administrator passwords and consider multi-factor authentication (MFA) for CMS admin accounts if supported. Monitoring and logging password reset attempts and administrative actions will help detect potential exploitation attempts early. Additionally, organizations should plan to upgrade to a patched version of ForU CMS once available or consider migrating to alternative CMS platforms with active security support. Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning focused on CMS components are recommended to detect similar weaknesses proactively.