CVE-2008-0459 in Liquidsilvercms
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in update/index.php in Liquid-Silver CMS 0.35, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allows remote attackers to include and execute arbitrary local files via a .. (dot dot) in the update parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0459 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the Liquid-Silver CMS version 0.35, specifically affecting the update/index.php script. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied parameters before processing them within the application's file inclusion logic. The flaw becomes exploitable when the PHP configuration parameter magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, which removes the automatic escaping of special characters that would otherwise prevent malicious input from being interpreted as part of a file path traversal sequence.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the classic double dot (..) sequence to navigate upward through the directory structure, allowing an attacker to specify arbitrary local file paths that the application attempts to include and execute. When the update parameter contains directory traversal sequences such as ../../../etc/passwd or similar malicious paths, the vulnerable script processes these inputs without proper validation, resulting in the inclusion of unintended local files. This behavior directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a fundamental failure in input sanitization and access control mechanisms. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to systems running the affected CMS version, as successful exploitation could enable remote code execution and complete system compromise. Attackers could leverage this flaw to access sensitive system files, execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web server process, and potentially escalate their access to gain control over the entire hosting environment. The impact extends beyond simple file disclosure to encompass full system compromise, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for web applications that handle sensitive data or operate in production environments. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill and can be automated, making it attractive to malicious actors seeking to compromise web servers running vulnerable CMS installations.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms to prevent directory traversal sequences from being processed as legitimate file paths. The most effective immediate solution involves ensuring that the update parameter undergoes rigorous validation to reject any input containing directory traversal sequences, while also implementing proper access controls that limit file inclusion operations to predefined safe directories. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious path traversal attempts, as well as ensuring that magic_quotes_gpc is properly configured or that adequate input sanitization is implemented at the application level. This vulnerability underscores the importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as exploitation typically involves executing malicious code through the web application interface. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application, along with implementing proper input validation frameworks that align with industry standards such as those recommended by OWASP for preventing path traversal attacks.