CVE-2020-23768 in PHPPYUN
Summary
by MITRE • 05/22/2021
An information disclosure vulnerability was discovered in alipay_function.php in the log file of Alibaba payment interface on PHPPYUN prior to version 5.0.1. If exploited, this vulnerability will allow attackers to obtain users' personally identifiable information including e-mail address and telephone numbers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-23768 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the PHPPYUN platform's Alibaba payment interface implementation. This issue specifically affects the alipay_function.php file where log file handling contains insufficient access controls and output sanitization mechanisms. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 5.0.1 of the PHPPYUN system, indicating a widespread exposure across multiple installations that failed to implement proper security measures in their payment processing modules.
The technical flaw manifests through improper handling of log file data within the alipay_function.php script that processes payment transactions through Alibaba's payment interface. When payment operations occur, the system generates log entries that contain sensitive personally identifiable information including email addresses and telephone numbers of users who have processed transactions. The vulnerability arises from inadequate input validation and output filtering mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize log data before it becomes accessible to unauthorized parties. This weakness creates a direct pathway for attackers to access sensitive user information through the log file structures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure as it provides attackers with actionable personally identifiable information that can be used for various malicious activities including identity theft, social engineering attacks, and targeted phishing campaigns. The disclosure of email addresses and telephone numbers creates multiple attack vectors for cybercriminals to exploit, potentially leading to account takeover attempts, fraud, and broader security breaches within the affected systems. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions of PHPPYUN suggests a fundamental flaw in the platform's security architecture that required comprehensive code review and remediation efforts.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigation strategies including mandatory version updates to PHPPYUN 5.0.1 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the log file handling vulnerability. Additional protective measures include implementing proper access controls for log files, establishing regular monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, Information Exposure, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1005, Data from Local System, highlighting the need for comprehensive security controls. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their payment processing systems, implement proper input validation and output encoding, and establish robust logging and monitoring procedures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other components of their infrastructure.