CVE-2013-4728 in Cm3 Acora Content Management System
Summary
by MITRE
DDSN Interactive cm3 Acora CMS 6.0.6/1a, 6.0.2/1a, 5.5.7/12b, 5.5.0/1b-p1, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a .. (dot dot) in the "l" parameter, which reveals the installation path in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2024
This vulnerability resides in the DDSN Interactive cm3 Acora CMS software ecosystem, specifically affecting versions 6.0.6/1a, 6.0.2/1a, 5.5.7/12b, and 5.5.0/1b-p1, with potential impacts extending to other unlisted versions. The flaw manifests through improper input validation mechanisms within the application's parameter handling system, where the "l" parameter fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied data. This weakness creates an information disclosure vulnerability that enables remote attackers to exploit directory traversal techniques using the .. (dot dot) sequence, thereby exposing sensitive system paths through error messages generated by the application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic path traversal pattern where malicious actors append directory traversal sequences to the "l" parameter to navigate beyond the intended directory structure. When the CMS processes these malformed requests, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the input, causing the application to reveal absolute installation paths in error messages. This occurs because the software lacks proper boundary checks and input filtering mechanisms that would normally prevent such traversal attempts. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-22, which defines improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the revealed installation paths can provide attackers with critical system architecture details that facilitate further exploitation attempts. Attackers can leverage this information to plan more sophisticated attacks targeting specific file locations, configuration files, or system components that may contain additional sensitive data. The exposure of installation paths also aids in bypassing security controls and understanding the application's deployment structure, potentially enabling privilege escalation or lateral movement within the affected system. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers discovering system information through directory listing and path traversal methods.
Organizations running affected versions of the cm3 Acora CMS should immediately implement mitigations including input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used for file access operations. The recommended approach involves implementing strict parameter validation that rejects any input containing directory traversal sequences, along with proper access controls that limit file system access to authorized directories only. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious traversal patterns, while regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in web application security, as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.