Mahara: Cross-Site Request Forgery
CVE-2022-28892 is a high-severity cross-site request forgery vulnerability in Mahara, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, but only if a user takes part, for example by opening a link or file. The record lists versions 20.10.5, 21.04.4, 21.10.2 as the first without the flaw, so updating Mahara to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.46% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Mahara to 20.10.5 or 21.04.4 or 21.10.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on bugs.launchpad.net for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
- Because the attack needs a user to take part, warn users about unexpected links and files related to this product until it is patched.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahara | Mahara | before 20.10.5; 21.04.0 up to, but not including, 21.04.4; 21.10.0 up to, but not including, 21.10.2; 22.04.0 | 20.10.5, 21.04.4, 21.10.2 |
Version data comes from NVD's product matching. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- RequiredA user must take an action such as opening a file or link.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 2.0 | 6.8 | Medium | NVD |
Official description
Mahara before 20.10.5, 21.04.4, 21.10.2, and 22.04.0 is vulnerable to Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) because randomly generated tokens are too easily guessable.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Cross-Site Request Forgery
The web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated from an unauthorized actor.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, use anti-CSRF packages such as the OWASP CSRFGuard. Another example is the ESAPI Session Management control, which includes a component for CSRF.
- Ensure that the application is free of cross-site scripting issues (CWE-79), because most CSRF defenses can be bypassed using attacker-controlled script.
- Generate a unique nonce for each form, place the nonce into the form, and verify the nonce upon receipt of the form. Be sure that the nonce is not predictable (CWE-330).
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Other vulnerabilities in Mahara
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
Recent Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
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