CVE-2019-7903 in Magento
Summary
by MITRE
A remote code execution 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. An authenticated user with admin privileges to email templates can execute arbitrary code by previewing a malicious template.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical remote code execution flaw in Magento e-commerce platforms that affects multiple version ranges including Magento 2.1 before 2.1.18, Magento 2.2 before 2.2.9, and Magento 2.3 before 2.3.2. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the email template preview functionality, creating a path for privilege escalation attacks. The flaw specifically targets authenticated administrators who can leverage their access rights to manipulate email templates, which then get processed through a vulnerable code path that executes arbitrary commands. This represents a sophisticated attack vector that combines authentication bypass elements with code execution capabilities, aligning with CWE-94 which describes improper control of generation of code.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when an authenticated administrator accesses the email template preview feature, which then processes user-supplied template content without adequate sanitization. The malicious template code gets executed within the context of the web application, allowing attackers to gain full control over the Magento instance and potentially escalate privileges to the underlying operating system. The attack requires minimal user interaction beyond authentication and involves crafting a specially formatted email template that contains malicious code which gets executed during the preview process. This vulnerability operates under the principle of code injection attacks and demonstrates the dangers of insufficient input validation in web applications. The attack vector follows typical patterns seen in the ATT&CK framework under the execution category, specifically targeting the command and script injection techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass complete system compromise and data exfiltration capabilities. An attacker with administrative access can use this vulnerability to install backdoors, modify product catalogs, steal customer data, and potentially use the compromised Magento instance as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The vulnerability affects organizations running affected Magento versions and creates a significant risk for businesses handling sensitive customer information, payment data, and business-critical e-commerce operations. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations, financial losses, and reputational damage if exploited successfully. The vulnerability also demonstrates how seemingly benign administrative features can become attack vectors when proper security controls are not implemented.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected Magento versions to the latest secure releases, which include proper input validation and sanitization measures for email template processing. Organizations should implement additional security controls including web application firewalls, privileged access management, and regular security audits of administrative functions. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by limiting administrative access to only necessary personnel and implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual template preview activities and anomalous code execution patterns. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other components of the e-commerce platform. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact if the vulnerability is exploited, ensuring that administrative functions are properly isolated from public-facing components.