CVE-2020-24404 in Magento
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2020
Magento version 2.4.0 and 2.3.5p1 (and earlier) are affected by an incorrect permissions vulnerability within the Integrations component. This vulnerability could be abused by users with permissions to the Pages resource to delete cms pages via the REST API without authorization.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-24404 affects Magento e-commerce platforms version 2.4.0 and 2.3.5p1 along with earlier releases, specifically targeting the Integrations component. This represents a critical access control flaw that undermines the platform's security model by allowing unauthorized deletion of content management system pages through the REST API interface. The vulnerability stems from improper permission validation mechanisms within the integration framework, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit existing user permissions and execute unauthorized operations.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper enforcement of authorization checks within the CMS page deletion functionality. When users possess permissions to access the Pages resource, they can leverage the REST API endpoints to perform delete operations on CMS pages without proper additional authorization validation. This misconfiguration creates a privilege escalation scenario where users with limited access can execute operations beyond their intended permissions. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control and inadequate authorization checks in software systems. The REST API implementation fails to verify whether the requesting user has the necessary administrative privileges to delete content, relying instead on the existence of basic page access permissions as sufficient authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using affected Magento versions, as it allows for unauthorized content destruction that could severely impact business operations and customer experience. Attackers could delete critical pages such as product descriptions, contact information, or promotional content, leading to service disruption and potential financial loss. The vulnerability also poses risks to data integrity and business continuity, as unauthorized deletion of CMS pages could compromise the website's functionality and user experience. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability provides a straightforward method to cause damage without requiring additional privileges or complex exploitation techniques, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the Pages resource.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches for Magento versions 2.3.5p1 and 2.4.0, which address the improper permission validation in the Integrations component. System administrators should also review and tighten user permission assignments, ensuring that users with access to the Pages resource do not automatically receive elevated privileges for deletion operations. Network segmentation and API access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the REST API endpoints to trusted sources only. Additionally, monitoring and logging of CMS page deletion activities should be enhanced to detect unauthorized operations promptly. The mitigation strategies align with ATT&CK technique T1485 which addresses data destruction and the broader category of privilege escalation attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege practices and conducting regular security audits to identify similar permission misconfigurations across their Magento installations and related systems.