^{CVE-2020-14043:}Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Codiad v1.7.8 and later allows attackers to trick administrators into downloading malicious plugins, potentially leading to remote code execution.

A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability has been identified in Codiad v1.7.8 and later versions. The vulnerability exists in the plugin marketplace functionality, specifically in components/market/controller.php, where requests to download plugins lack proper CSRF protection. This security flaw allows attackers to craft malicious web pages that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, can trigger unauthorized plugin downloads without the admin's knowledge or consent. Since plugins can execute code on the server, this vulnerability can lead to remote code execution. It's important to note that Codiad is no longer under active maintenance by core contributors, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for users who continue to rely on this unsupported software.

Overview

Codiad is a web-based IDE and code editor that allows developers to work on projects through a browser interface. The vulnerability affects the marketplace component that allows administrators to download and install plugins. The CSRF vulnerability exists because the application fails to implement proper request verification mechanisms when processing plugin download requests. An attacker can exploit this by creating a specially crafted webpage that, when visited by an administrator who is already authenticated to Codiad, will automatically submit a request to download a malicious plugin. Since the request comes from the administrator's browser, the application processes it as legitimate. Once the malicious plugin is installed, it can execute arbitrary code on the server, giving the attacker control over the system. This vulnerability is particularly severe because it can lead to complete system compromise and because the software is no longer maintained, meaning no official patches will be released.

Remediation

Since Codiad is no longer under active maintenance, no official patches are expected for this vulnerability. Users are strongly advised to take the following actions:

1. Consider migrating to an actively maintained alternative web-based IDE.
2. If continued use of Codiad is necessary:
   • Implement additional security controls such as web application firewalls to filter malicious requests.
   • Restrict access to the Codiad admin interface to trusted networks only.
   • Add custom CSRF protection by modifying the components/market/controller.php file to include CSRF tokens.
   • Always log out of the Codiad admin interface when not in use.
   • Run Codiad in an isolated environment to minimize potential damage from exploitation.
3. Regularly monitor system logs for suspicious activities.
4. Consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to help mitigate CSRF attacks.
5. Use network segmentation to limit the impact of a potential compromise.

References

1. Checkmarx Security Advisory: https://advisory.checkmarx.net/advisory/CX-2020-4279
2. Codiad GitHub Repository README (noting discontinued maintenance): https://github.com/Codiad/Codiad/blob/master/README.md
3. GitHub Issue detailing the vulnerability: https://github.com/Codiad/Codiad/issues/1122
4. MITRE CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/352.html