CVE-2004-0241 in X-Cart
Summary
by MITRE
X-Cart 3.4.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via the perl_binary argument in (1) upgrade.php or (2) general.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0241 represents a critical remote code execution flaw affecting X-Cart version 3.4.3, a widely used e-commerce platform. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the application's upgrade and general management scripts, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the affected system. The flaw specifically manifests in the perl_binary argument handling within two key files: upgrade.php and general.php, which are part of the platform's administrative interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a classic command injection attack vector where attacker-controlled input is directly incorporated into system commands without proper sanitization or validation. When the perl_binary argument is processed by either upgrade.php or general.php, the application fails to properly escape or validate user-supplied data, allowing remote attackers to inject malicious commands that get executed in the context of the web server process. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-77 as "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')", which is a fundamental security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the most dangerous input validation flaws in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected server. Successful exploitation can lead to full system compromise, data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and the potential for establishing persistent backdoors within the infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute system commands such as creating new user accounts, modifying system files, accessing sensitive data, or even deploying additional malware. The vulnerability affects the entire X-Cart platform and its associated web server environment, potentially exposing customer data, financial information, and business-critical resources to unauthorized access.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically mapping it to the Command and Scripting Interpreter tactic with techniques such as T1059.001 for Command Line Interface and T1059.007 for PowerShell. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches, implementing web application firewalls, and conducting thorough security assessments of their X-Cart installations. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation and output encoding practices, aligning with security standards such as OWASP Top Ten A03:2021 - Injection and the principle of least privilege execution. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability could serve as an initial access vector for more sophisticated attacks within the network infrastructure.