CVE-2024-42605 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Pligg CMS version 2.0.2, specifically exploitable through the /admin/edit_page.php?link_id=1 endpoint. CSRF vulnerabilities allow attackers to induce authenticated users, typically administrators, to execute unwanted actions on a web application without their consent. In this case, the vulnerability arises because the CMS does not adequately verify that requests to edit pages originate from legitimate sources, lacking proper anti-CSRF tokens or other protections. The attack vector is remote (network accessible), requires no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R), such as clicking a malicious link or visiting a crafted webpage while logged into the CMS. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a limited extent (C:L/I:L/A:L), as unauthorized changes to page content or administrative settings could be made. The scope is changed (S:C), indicating that the vulnerability affects resources beyond the attacker’s privileges, potentially impacting multiple users or system components. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 reflects these factors, categorizing the vulnerability as high severity. No patches or known exploits have been reported yet, but the risk remains significant due to the potential for administrative account misuse and website defacement or disruption. The weakness is classified under CWE-352, which covers CSRF issues. Organizations running Pligg CMS should assess their exposure and apply mitigations promptly.

The impact of this CSRF vulnerability is primarily on organizations using Pligg CMS for managing their web content. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to perform unauthorized administrative actions such as modifying page content, changing site configurations, or injecting malicious content. This can lead to website defacement, misinformation, or the introduction of malicious code that compromises visitors. Confidentiality is moderately impacted as attackers might alter or expose sensitive content. Integrity is affected due to unauthorized content changes, and availability could be disrupted if critical administrative functions are manipulated. Since exploitation requires an authenticated administrator to interact with malicious content, the attack surface is limited but still significant, especially in environments with multiple administrators or less security-aware users. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate it, as attackers may develop exploits. Organizations relying on Pligg CMS for public-facing websites or internal portals could face reputational damage, loss of user trust, and potential regulatory consequences if sensitive data is exposed or altered.

To mitigate CVE-2024-42605, organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Apply any available patches or updates from Pligg CMS developers as soon as they are released. 2) If patches are not available, implement CSRF protections by adding anti-CSRF tokens to all state-changing requests, especially those in the /admin/edit_page.php endpoint. 3) Validate the HTTP Referer or Origin headers on administrative requests to ensure they originate from trusted sources. 4) Restrict administrative interface access by IP whitelisting or VPN-only access to reduce exposure to external attackers. 5) Educate administrators about the risks of clicking untrusted links while logged into the CMS. 6) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block CSRF attack patterns targeting the CMS. 7) Regularly audit administrative actions and logs to detect suspicious activities. 8) Consider multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts to reduce the risk of session hijacking or misuse. These targeted mitigations go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific vulnerable endpoint and attack vector.