CVE-2010-3313 in EGroupware
Summary
by MITRE
phpgwapi/js/fckeditor/editor/dialog/fck_spellerpages/spellerpages/serverscripts/spellchecker.php in EGroupware 1.4.001+.002; 1.6.001+.002 and possibly other versions before 1.6.003; and EPL 9.1 before 9.1.20100309 and 9.2 before 9.2.20100309; allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in the (1) aspell_path or (2) spellchecker_lang parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3313 represents a critical remote command execution flaw affecting EGroupware and EPL software versions prior to their respective security patches. This vulnerability exists within the spellchecker functionality of the web-based collaborative platform, specifically in the spellchecker.php script that handles spell-checking operations through the FCKeditor component. The affected versions include EGroupware 1.4.001+.002 through 1.6.002 and EPL 9.1 before 9.1.20100309 and 9.2 before 9.2.20100309, making it a widespread issue across multiple software releases.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the spellchecker.php script which processes user-supplied parameters without proper escaping or filtering of shell metacharacters. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious shell commands through the aspell_path or spellchecker_lang parameters, which are then executed on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the web server process. This occurs because the application directly incorporates user input into system commands without proper sanitization, creating a classic command injection vulnerability that falls under CWE-78, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in OS commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise. An attacker could gain access to sensitive data, modify system configurations, install malware, or establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication to exploit, making it accessible to anyone who can interact with the web application. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that the vulnerability affects multiple versions and software families, increasing the potential attack vectors significantly.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch application to versions 1.6.003 for EGroupware and 9.1.20100309 and 9.2.20100309 for EPL, which contain the necessary input validation fixes. Additionally, administrators should implement proper input sanitization at the application level by escaping or filtering all user-supplied parameters before they are processed. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion prevention systems can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1021.004 for Remote Services, indicating that exploitation would likely involve command execution and remote access patterns. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their web applications to identify similar input validation weaknesses and implement proper secure coding practices to prevent future vulnerabilities of this nature.