CVE-2019-17399 in Shack Forms Pro Extension
Summary
by MITRE
The Shack Forms Pro extension before 4.0.32 for Joomla! allows path traversal via a file attachment.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-17399 affects the Shack Forms Pro extension for Joomla websites. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate file paths and access files outside the intended directory structure, potentially leading to sensitive data exposure, system reconnaissance, and further exploitation opportunities.
The technical implementation of this path traversal vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the file attachment processing mechanism. When users submit forms with file attachments through the Shack Forms Pro extension, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize the file paths provided in the attachment parameters. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious file paths that include directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\, allowing them to navigate beyond the intended upload directories and access arbitrary files on the server. This weakness directly maps to CWE-22, which describes 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 file access, as it can enable attackers to extract sensitive information from the Joomla! installation, including configuration files, database credentials, and other system files that may contain authentication tokens or other valuable data. Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, particularly if the attacker can access files containing database connection strings, administrator credentials, or other sensitive configuration data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where the web server has elevated privileges or where multiple applications share the same server infrastructure, as it could facilitate lateral movement and privilege escalation attacks.
Organizations using the affected Shack Forms Pro extension should immediately upgrade to version 4.0.32 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and sanitization measures, restricting file upload directories, and monitoring for suspicious file access patterns can help mitigate the risk. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling and ensure that all Joomla! extensions are kept up to date with the latest security patches. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing, as attackers may use path traversal to gain access to system files that could contain credentials or other authentication information for further exploitation. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities and regularly audit their web applications for similar path traversal flaws in other components.