CVE-2019-7852 in Magento
Summary
by MITRE
A path disclosure vulnerability exists in Magento 2.1 prior to 2.1.18, Magento 2.2 prior to 2.2.9, Magento 2.3 prior to 2.3.2. Requests for a specific file path could result in a redirect to the URL of the Magento admin panel, disclosing its location to potentially unauthorized parties.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-7852 represents a path disclosure weakness that affected multiple versions of the Magento e-commerce platform, specifically impacting Magento 2.1 versions before 2.1.18, Magento 2.2 versions before 2.2.9, and Magento 2.3 versions before 2.3.2. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure flaws that can provide attackers with sensitive system information. The flaw manifests when specific file path requests are made to the Magento application, potentially leading to unintended exposure of administrative paths and system structures. Such information disclosure vulnerabilities are particularly concerning in web applications where the exposure of internal paths can provide attackers with crucial intelligence for subsequent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the application's input handling and response generation mechanisms, where the system fails to properly sanitize or validate file path requests before processing them.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of file path requests within its routing and redirection logic. When users or attackers submit requests for specific file paths, the Magento application does not adequately validate or sanitize these inputs before determining the appropriate response. This lack of input validation allows the system to potentially reveal internal file structures and administrative paths through redirect responses. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can inadvertently expose the location of the Magento admin panel, which represents a critical attack surface for unauthorized parties. The path disclosure occurs during the redirect process, where the application's response includes information about the system's internal structure that should remain hidden from external users. This behavior aligns with common path disclosure patterns found in web applications where insufficient input validation leads to the exposure of system paths, directory structures, or internal resource locations. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability represents a violation of the principle of least privilege and information hiding, as it exposes system internals that should remain confidential.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-7852 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates opportunities for more sophisticated attacks that can leverage the exposed administrative paths. Attackers who discover the admin panel location can then focus their efforts on targeting this specific area, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data breaches, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability essentially provides attackers with a map of the application's internal structure, making it significantly easier to plan and execute targeted attacks against the Magento system. This type of information exposure can enable attackers to bypass certain security controls that rely on the obscurity of system paths, as the disclosed information removes this layer of protection. The impact is particularly severe for e-commerce platforms like Magento, where the exposure of administrative interfaces can lead to unauthorized modification of product catalogs, customer data manipulation, payment processing interference, and other malicious activities. Organizations running affected Magento versions face increased risk of successful exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability provides attackers with a clear indication of where to focus their attention.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-7852 primarily involve applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the path disclosure vulnerability in affected Magento versions. Organizations should immediately upgrade to the patched versions of Magento 2.1.18, 2.2.9, and 2.3.2, which contain fixes specifically designed to prevent unauthorized path disclosure through redirect responses. The security patch implementations typically involve enhanced input validation mechanisms and stricter handling of file path requests to ensure that internal system paths are not exposed during redirect operations. Additionally, organizations should implement network-level monitoring to detect unusual patterns of file path requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security professionals should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious redirect patterns, as well as conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in the application stack. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, and aligns with common security practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and other industry standards. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability relates to techniques involving reconnaissance and privilege escalation, as the path disclosure enables attackers to better understand the target environment and plan more effective attack vectors. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation attempts, ensuring that even if attackers discover administrative paths, they cannot easily access sensitive system components.