CVE-2018-18936 in PopojiCMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in PopojiCMS v2.0.1. admin_library.php allows remote attackers to delete arbitrary files via directory traversal in the po-admin/route.php?mod=library&act=delete id parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18936 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within PopojiCMS version 2.0.1 that exposes the content management system to remote exploitation. This vulnerability exists in the admin_library.php file where the application fails to properly validate user input when processing file deletion requests through the administrative interface. The specific attack vector occurs through the po-admin/route.php endpoint with the mod=library and act=delete parameters, where an attacker can manipulate the id parameter to execute arbitrary file deletion operations. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a severe lack of input sanitization in the application's administrative functions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages directory traversal techniques that allow attackers to navigate beyond the intended directory boundaries and target files outside the normal scope of the application's file management system. When the application processes the malicious id parameter without proper validation, it interprets the input as a legitimate file path and executes the deletion operation against the specified target. This flaw falls under CWE-22, which specifically addresses directory traversal vulnerabilities, and represents a classic example of insufficient input validation in web applications. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple file deletion as it can potentially allow attackers to remove critical system files, configuration data, or even execute code by targeting specific files within the application's directory structure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on PopojiCMS for their web content management needs. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to compromise the integrity of the entire system by deleting essential files, potentially leading to complete system outages or data loss. The attack requires minimal privileges to execute, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with access to the administrative interface or by attackers who have already compromised other parts of the system. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1486 which covers data destruction, highlighting how such flaws can enable broader attack chains within compromised environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in administrative functions. The recommended approach involves implementing strict path validation that ensures file operations occur only within designated directories and rejects any input containing directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\\. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and authentication mechanisms for administrative functions can significantly reduce the attack surface. The application should also be updated to a patched version that addresses this specific vulnerability, as the original PopojiCMS v2.0.1 is no longer supported and contains multiple other security weaknesses. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar issues in other components of the web application stack, ensuring comprehensive protection against directory traversal attacks and related vulnerabilities.