A late penalty from Cardiff City’s Joe Ralls maintained Middlesbrough’s recent disappointing record at the Riverside.
That came about when substitute Adama Traore fouled Nathaniel Mendez-Laing inside the area with just over five minutes of the contest remaining.
Danny Ward saw an early opportunity for the visitors after Darren Randolph’s clearance was charged down, but the Boro keeper then blocked with his legs.
Britt Assombalonga curled wide from the edge of the area at the other end following decent work between Ben Gibson, Fabio and Grant Leadbitter.
Stewart Downing also had a free-kick deflected behind after the interval, while Bruno Manga’s reply was halted on the line by Assombalonga from Junior Hoilett’s free-kick.
However, Mendez-Laing was later brought down by Traore inside the area and Ralls confidently wrong-footed Randolph from the penalty.
And Cardiff should then really have had another when Hoilett headed wide from Mendez-Laing.
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Christie, Ayala, Gibson, Fabio, Leadbitter, Howson, Downing (Traore 78), Braithwaite, Fletcher (Bamford 67), Assombalonga
subs (unused): Konstantopoulos, Friend, Clayton, Fry, Johnson
Cardiff City: Etheridge, Peltier, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bennett, Bamba, Mendez-Laing (Paterson 89), Bryson, Ralls, Hoilett, Ward (Bogle 90)
subs (unused): Tomlin, Feeney, Halford, Damour, Murphy
Goals: Ralls (pen 84)
Ref: A. Madley
Att: 24,806
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