CVE-2013-4191 in Plone
Summary
by MITRE
zip.py in Plone 2.1 through 4.1, 4.2.x through 4.2.5, and 4.3.x through 4.3.1 does not properly enforce access restrictions when including content in a zip archive, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading a generated archive.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4191 affects Plone content management systems across multiple version ranges including 2.1 through 4.1, 4.2.x through 4.2.5, and 4.3.x through 4.3.1. This issue resides within the zip.py module which handles the creation of zip archives containing Plone content. The flaw represents a critical access control bypass that undermines the security model of the platform by allowing unauthorized data extraction through seemingly legitimate archive generation processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper access restriction enforcement within the zip archive generation functionality. When users request content to be included in a zip file, the system fails to validate whether the requesting user has appropriate permissions to access all the content being aggregated into the archive. This weakness enables attackers to construct zip files that contain sensitive information from protected areas of the Plone site, including content that should be restricted to specific user roles or groups. The vulnerability specifically impacts the zip.py module's handling of content inclusion logic, where access controls are not properly enforced during the archive creation process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture. Attackers can exploit this weakness to aggregate and extract sensitive data including unpublished content, private documents, user information, and other restricted materials without proper authorization. This capability significantly undermines the confidentiality and integrity of Plone-based systems, potentially exposing proprietary information, personal data, or internal communications that should remain protected within the application's access control framework. The vulnerability affects all versions where the zip functionality is enabled, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely on Plone's archive generation features.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Plone where available, disabling zip archive generation functionality if not essential, and implementing additional access controls at the network level. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which describes improper access control in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1074.001 for data staging through archive extraction. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious archive generation requests and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts. Given the broad version scope of the vulnerability, comprehensive patch management and security assessments are essential to ensure complete remediation across all affected Plone installations.