CVE-2020-3717 in Magento
Summary
by MITRE
Magento versions 2.3.3 and earlier, 2.2.10 and earlier, 1.14.4.3 and earlier, and 1.9.4.3 and earlier have a path traversal vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to sensitive information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3717 represents a critical path traversal flaw affecting multiple versions of the Magento e-commerce platform across its major release lines. This vulnerability resides in the file handling mechanisms of the application, specifically within the way it processes file paths and directory navigation requests. The flaw allows unauthorized attackers to manipulate file path parameters in order to access files outside the intended directory structure, potentially exposing sensitive system information, configuration files, and user data. The vulnerability impacts Magento versions 2.3.3 and earlier, 2.2.10 and earlier, 1.14.4.3 and earlier, and 1.9.4.3 and earlier, indicating a widespread issue affecting both current and legacy versions of the platform.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of file path parameters within the application's file handling routines. Attackers can craft malicious requests that exploit insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms, allowing them to traverse directory structures beyond the intended boundaries. The vulnerability specifically leverages the application's inability to properly validate or sanitize file path inputs, enabling attackers to access files that should remain restricted. This type of flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal. The attack vector typically involves appending sequences such as ../ or ..\ to file paths, allowing access to files outside the web root directory.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-3717 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as successful exploitation can lead to comprehensive system compromise. Attackers may gain access to sensitive configuration files containing database credentials, encryption keys, and other critical system information. The vulnerability can also expose user data, including customer records, session information, and potentially payment details stored within the application's file system. This exposure creates significant risk for organizations relying on Magento for their e-commerce operations, as the disclosure of such information could lead to financial fraud, identity theft, and regulatory compliance violations. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe in environments where Magento serves as the primary web application interface, as it provides a direct pathway to sensitive data repositories.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through official Magento security patches released for the affected versions. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to patched versions of Magento, specifically versions 2.3.4, 2.2.11, 1.14.4.4, and 1.9.4.4, which contain the necessary fixes for the path traversal vulnerability. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input validation controls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and monitor system logs for suspicious file access patterns. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1005 (Data from Local System), as it enables adversaries to discover and extract sensitive information from the target system through unauthorized file access. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security audits to minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities in their environments.