Overview
CVE-2025-50286 is a critical security vulnerability that affects Grav CMS version 1.7.48. This vulnerability is a Remote Code Execution (RCE) flaw that allows an authenticated admin to upload a malicious plugin, leading to arbitrary PHP code execution and reverse shell access. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it could potentially compromise the system and lead to data leakage. The impact of this vulnerability is significant and demands immediate attention from admins and developers who manage or use Grav CMS.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-50286
Severity: High (CVSS: 8.1)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: High (Admin rights)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise and potential data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Grav CMS | v1.7.48
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of a lack of proper file validation within the /admin/tools/direct-install interface of the Grav CMS. An attacker with admin privileges can upload a malicious plugin to this interface. Once uploaded, the plugin is automatically extracted and loaded, which is where the vulnerability lies. This process allows the execution of arbitrary PHP code within the server environment and the potential for reverse shell access, enabling the attacker to perform unauthorized operations on the server.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of an HTTP request that could be used to exploit this vulnerability:
POST /admin/tools/direct-install HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=----WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
------WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="plugin"; filename="malicious_plugin.zip"
Content-Type: application/zip
(Contents of malicious_plugin.zip)
------WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gWIn this example, a malicious plugin is uploaded as a zip file to the /admin/tools/direct-install endpoint. Once uploaded and extracted, the malicious PHP code within the plugin would be executed, resulting in a successful exploit of the vulnerability.
Mitigation Guidance
The best way to mitigate this vulnerability is to apply the vendor-provided patch as soon as possible. If this is not immediately feasible, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used as a temporary mitigation measure to block potential exploit attempts. However, these should only be seen as temporary solutions, and patching the system should be the priority.