CVE-2015-6497 in Community Edition
Summary
by MITRE
The create function in app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Product/Api/V2.php in Magento Community Edition (CE) before 1.9.2.1 and Enterprise Edition (EE) before 1.14.2.1, when used with PHP before 5.4.24 or 5.5.8, allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary PHP code via the productData parameter to index.php/api/v2_soap.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6497 represents a critical remote code execution flaw in Magento e-commerce platforms that affects both Community and Enterprise editions. This vulnerability exists within the SOAP API implementation of Magento, specifically in the product creation functionality where the create function in app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Product/Api/V2.php fails to properly sanitize user input. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code on the target system, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability is not limited to a specific Magento version but affects installations running PHP versions prior to 5.4.24 or 5.5.8, making it a widespread concern for organizations using outdated software stacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the productData parameter within the SOAP API endpoint at index.php/api/v2_soap. When an authenticated user submits malicious data through this parameter, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the input before processing it, creating a path for code injection attacks. This type of vulnerability is classified as a command injection or code injection flaw, which aligns with CWE-94 - Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') and CWE-77 - Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection'). The vulnerability leverages the way PHP handles serialized data and object instantiation, allowing attackers to manipulate the deserialization process to execute arbitrary commands. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication to the Magento system, which means that attackers with valid user credentials can exploit this vulnerability without requiring additional privileges or complex reconnaissance.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-6497 extends far beyond simple data theft or service disruption. Successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to gain persistent access to the web server, steal sensitive customer data, manipulate product catalogs, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the organization's network. This vulnerability directly maps to several tactics in the MITRE ATT&CK framework including T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1078 - Valid Accounts, as attackers can leverage existing authenticated sessions to execute malicious code. Organizations using vulnerable Magento installations face significant risk of data breaches, regulatory violations, and financial losses. The vulnerability also impacts PCI DSS compliance requirements as it creates an attack surface that can be exploited to access cardholder data. The widespread nature of Magento installations across e-commerce platforms means that this vulnerability affects numerous businesses and organizations that may not have adequate security monitoring in place to detect such attacks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Magento Community Edition 1.9.2.1 or Enterprise Edition 1.14.2.1, ensuring PHP versions are updated to 5.4.24 or 5.5.8, and implementing network-level restrictions to limit access to the SOAP API endpoints. Security measures should include input validation, output encoding, and monitoring for unusual API activity patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of keeping all software components up to date and demonstrates the critical need for proper input sanitization in web applications. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and security monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish proper access controls to limit API usage to authorized users only. Regular security assessments and penetration testing can help identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack.