CVE-2008-7067 in Page Tree Cms
Summary
by MITRE
PHP remote file inclusion vulnerability in admin/plugins/Online_Users/main.php in PageTree CMS 0.0.2 BETA 0001 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code via a URL in the GLOBALS[PT_Config][dir][data] parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-7067 represents a critical remote file inclusion flaw within the PageTree CMS 0.0.2 BETA 0001 content management system. This vulnerability exists in the administrative plugin component specifically within the file admin/plugins/Online_Users/main.php, which demonstrates a classic insecure direct object reference pattern that has been documented in various security frameworks including CWE-88 and CWE-94. The flaw arises from the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize user input parameters, particularly the GLOBALS[PT_Config][dir][data] parameter that is used to determine the data directory path for the online users plugin.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to manipulate the application's behavior by injecting malicious URLs into the GLOBALS[PT_Config][dir][data] parameter. When the application processes this parameter without adequate sanitization, it can be tricked into including and executing arbitrary PHP code from remote locations. This type of vulnerability directly maps to the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-94, which describes the execution of code that is not properly validated or sanitized. The attack vector operates through the standard HTTP request mechanism where an attacker crafts a malicious request containing a URL in the specified parameter, causing the vulnerable application to fetch and execute code from an attacker-controlled remote server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and encompasses multiple attack surfaces within the target environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains the ability to execute arbitrary code on the affected server with the privileges of the web application user. This provides a potential foothold for further compromise including privilege escalation, data exfiltration, and establishment of persistent access points. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects the administrative plugin component, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions and control over the CMS. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PHP) and T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) techniques, demonstrating how attackers can leverage such flaws to establish a foothold in network environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention through multiple defensive layers. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in file inclusion operations. Applications should employ allowlists of trusted values rather than relying on user input for critical paths, and all dynamic file operations should be performed with absolute paths rather than relative or user-controlled paths. The implementation of a secure coding practice framework should enforce parameter validation, and developers must avoid using functions like include or require with user-controllable input. Additionally, web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious parameter values, while regular security audits should be performed to identify similar patterns in other application components. System administrators should also ensure that the CMS is updated to a patched version that addresses this vulnerability, as the original version appears to be a beta release that likely contains other unaddressed security flaws. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous file inclusion patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.