CVE-2012-1468 in Open Journal Systems
Summary
by MITRE
Incomplete blacklist vulnerability in Open Journal Systems before 2.3.7 allows remote authenticated users with the Author Role permission to execute arbitrary code by uploading a file with an executable extension that is not ".php", then accessing it via a direct request to the file in submission/original/ in the associated article directory, as demonstrated using .pHp, .asp, and other extensions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2012-1468 represents a critical incomplete blacklist security flaw in Open Journal Systems version 2.3.6 and earlier, classified under CWE-20 Improper Input Validation. This vulnerability specifically affects the file upload validation mechanism within the Open Journal Systems platform, which is widely used by academic institutions and publishers for managing scholarly publications. The flaw exists in the content management system's handling of file uploads, particularly when processing submissions from users with the Author role permission level.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from an insufficient blacklist approach to file extension validation. The system maintains a list of file extensions that are forbidden for upload, but this list is incomplete and fails to account for various case variations and alternative executable extensions. Attackers can exploit this by uploading malicious files with extensions such as .pHp, .asp, .aspx, or other variations that are not included in the hardcoded blacklist. The system processes these uploads without proper validation, allowing the malicious files to be stored in the submission/original/ directory within the article's associated folder structure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote code execution attacks against systems running vulnerable versions of Open Journal Systems. An authenticated attacker with Author role permissions can bypass the upload restrictions by leveraging the incomplete blacklist to place malicious code in the web root directory. Once the malicious file is uploaded, the attacker can execute arbitrary code by directly accessing the file through a web request to the submission/original/ directory path. This attack vector allows for complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure hosting the vulnerable journal system.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the classic weakness in security-by-avoidance approaches where systems rely on maintaining lists of forbidden items rather than implementing positive validation controls. This approach is fundamentally flawed as it's impossible to enumerate all possible attack vectors, and attackers can easily circumvent such protections through case variations, encoding techniques, or by discovering new extensions that are not yet included in the blacklist. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application and T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary commands through web application exploitation.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, including immediate patching to version 2.3.7 or later, implementing proper file type validation using allowlists instead of blacklists, and deploying web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious file upload attempts. Additionally, implementing strict file extension validation, content-type checking, and mandatory file scanning should be enforced. The system should also enforce proper file permissions and ensure that uploaded files are not directly executable from web-accessible directories. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar incomplete blacklist implementations in other systems, as this pattern represents a common security anti-pattern that frequently appears in web applications.