CVE-2020-24930 in Wuzhi
Summary
by MITRE • 09/28/2021
Beijing Wuzhi Internet Technology Co., Ltd. Wuzhi CMS 4.0.1 is an open source content management system. The five fingers CMS backend in***.php file has arbitrary file deletion vulnerability. Attackers can use vulnerabilities to delete arbitrary files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-24930 affects Wuzhi CMS version 4.0.1, an open source content management system developed by Beijing Wuzhi Internet Technology Co., Ltd. This content management system is widely used for website development and content management purposes, making it a potentially attractive target for malicious actors seeking to compromise web infrastructure. The specific vulnerability resides within the five fingers CMS backend functionality, particularly in the *.php file which serves as a critical component for administrative operations within the system.
The technical flaw represents a directory traversal vulnerability that allows unauthorized users to manipulate file deletion operations within the CMS environment. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the backend processing logic. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that bypass normal access controls and file validation checks, thereby enabling them to delete arbitrary files from the server's file system. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be classified under CWE-22, which deals with improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal attacks. This type of vulnerability allows attackers to access files and directories that are outside the intended scope of the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant and multifaceted, potentially affecting both the availability and integrity of web applications running the affected CMS version. Successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to remove critical application files, configuration data, or even database files that would lead to service disruption. The vulnerability also poses risks to data integrity as attackers could delete backup files or system logs that are essential for forensic analysis and system recovery. Additionally, the removal of core application files could lead to complete service outages, requiring extensive recovery efforts and potentially resulting in data loss. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that this affects a widely used open source CMS platform, meaning that numerous websites and organizations could be vulnerable simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation and long-term security hardening measures. The primary recommendation is to upgrade to a patched version of Wuzhi CMS that addresses this specific file deletion vulnerability. Organizations should also implement input validation controls that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, particularly for file operations. Access controls should be strengthened through proper authentication mechanisms and role-based access control implementations to limit administrative functions to authorized personnel only. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework, which emphasize proper input validation and access control mechanisms. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and regular security assessments can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should also establish robust backup and recovery procedures to ensure business continuity in case of successful attacks, while maintaining detailed logging and monitoring capabilities to support incident response activities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for regular security updates and vulnerability assessments, particularly for open source software that may not receive immediate patches from vendors.