CVE-2018-12540 : What You Need to Know

Eclipse Vert.x versions 3.0.0 to 3.5.2 are affected by a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the CSRFHandler, allowing replay attacks with previously issued tokens.

Understanding CVE-2018-12540

This CVE involves a security issue in Eclipse Vert.x versions 3.0.0 to 3.5.2 related to CSRF handling.

What is CVE-2018-12540?

In Eclipse Vert.x versions 3.0.0 to 3.5.2, the CSRFHandler fails to verify if the XSRF Cookie matches the returned XSRF header or form parameter, enabling replay attacks using tokens that have not expired.

The Impact of CVE-2018-12540

This vulnerability could be exploited by attackers to perform CSRF attacks, potentially leading to unauthorized actions being performed on behalf of a user.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-12540

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The CSRFHandler in Eclipse Vert.x versions 3.0.0 to 3.5.2 does not properly validate the XSRF Cookie against the XSRF header or form parameter, allowing for replay attacks with unexpired tokens.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Eclipse Vert.x
Vendor: The Eclipse Foundation
Versions: 3.0.0 to 3.5.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by using previously issued tokens to perform replay attacks, bypassing CSRF protection mechanisms.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2018-12540, follow these mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Eclipse Vert.x to a version that includes a fix for the CSRFHandler issue.
Implement additional CSRF protection mechanisms in your applications.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update your software components to address known vulnerabilities.
Educate developers on secure coding practices to prevent CSRF and other common web application security issues.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by Eclipse Foundation or relevant vendors to fix the CSRF vulnerability in Eclipse Vert.x versions 3.0.0 to 3.5.2.