CVE-2024-28669 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in DedeCMS version 5.7, specifically through the /dede/freelist_edit.php script. CSRF vulnerabilities occur when a web application does not adequately verify that requests originate from legitimate users, allowing attackers to craft malicious web requests that an authenticated user unknowingly executes. In this case, the vulnerability enables attackers to induce authenticated users to perform unintended actions, potentially modifying data or settings handled by the freelist_edit.php endpoint. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N) indicates that exploitation is possible remotely over the network with low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary. The impact affects confidentiality and integrity to a limited extent, without affecting availability. No patches or exploits are currently documented, suggesting this is a newly disclosed vulnerability. The CWE-352 classification confirms the nature of the CSRF flaw. Given the widespread use of DedeCMS in content management, especially in Chinese-speaking regions, this vulnerability could be leveraged to alter site content or configurations if exploited.

The primary impact of this vulnerability is the potential unauthorized modification of data or settings within DedeCMS installations, which could lead to limited confidentiality and integrity breaches. Attackers could manipulate site content or configurations by tricking authenticated users into submitting crafted requests. Although availability is not impacted, the integrity of website data and user trust could be compromised. Organizations relying on DedeCMS for content management may face reputational damage and operational disruptions if attackers exploit this vulnerability to deface websites or inject malicious content. The requirement for user interaction and authentication limits the attack scope but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments with many users or weak user security awareness.

To mitigate CVE-2024-28669, organizations should implement robust CSRF protections such as embedding unique, unpredictable CSRF tokens in forms and validating them on the server side for all state-changing requests, including those handled by freelist_edit.php. Additionally, enforcing SameSite cookie attributes can help reduce CSRF risks. Web application firewalls (WAFs) can be configured to detect and block suspicious cross-site requests targeting this endpoint. User education is critical to reduce the likelihood of falling victim to phishing or social engineering that triggers CSRF attacks. Monitoring web server logs for unusual POST requests to /dede/freelist_edit.php can help detect exploitation attempts. Finally, organizations should track vendor updates or community patches for DedeCMS and apply them promptly once available.