CVE-2010-4722 in Smarty
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the fetch plugin in Smarty before 3.0.2 has unknown impact and remote attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4722 affects the Smarty template engine version 3.0.1 and earlier, specifically within its fetch plugin component. This issue represents a security weakness that could potentially be exploited by remote attackers to compromise systems utilizing vulnerable Smarty installations. The vulnerability resides in the fetch plugin functionality which is designed to retrieve and process external resources during template rendering operations.
The technical flaw in the Smarty fetch plugin stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms when processing external resource URLs. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate the plugin's behavior through crafted input parameters that could lead to unauthorized access to system resources or execution of malicious code. The vulnerability's unspecified nature indicates that the exact attack vectors and impact details were not fully disclosed at the time of reporting, though such ambiguities typically suggest potential for serious exploitation. The fetch plugin's design likely lacks proper boundary checks and validation controls that would normally prevent malicious input from being processed without restrictions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to web applications that rely on Smarty for template processing and utilize the fetch plugin functionality. Attackers could potentially leverage this weakness to access sensitive files, execute arbitrary code, or perform unauthorized operations on affected systems. The remote attack vector capability means that exploitation does not require local system access, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for publicly accessible web applications. Systems using vulnerable Smarty versions may experience data breaches, system compromise, or unauthorized access to confidential information, especially when the fetch plugin is configured to access external resources.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with common security frameworks such as CWE-20, which categorizes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security. The attack surface is consistent with ATT&CK framework techniques involving command and control communication and privilege escalation through software exploitation. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Smarty installations to version 3.0.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the fetch plugin vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input validation controls, restricting external resource access, and monitoring for suspicious template processing activities can help mitigate potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct thorough assessments of their Smarty-based applications to identify any custom implementations that might be vulnerable to similar issues, ensuring comprehensive protection against this and related threats.