CVE-2021-36028 in Magento Commerce
Summary
by MITRE • 09/01/2021
Magento Commerce versions 2.4.2 (and earlier), 2.4.2-p1 (and earlier) and 2.3.7 (and earlier) are affected by an XML Injection vulnerability when saving a configurable product. An attacker with admin privileges can trigger a specially crafted script to achieve remote code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2021
This vulnerability exists within Magento Commerce platforms where the XML injection flaw occurs during the process of saving configurable products. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data that gets processed through XML parsing mechanisms. Attackers with administrative privileges can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious XML payloads that manipulate the product configuration saving process, ultimately leading to remote code execution capabilities. The flaw specifically affects versions 2.4.2 and earlier, 2.4.2-p1 and earlier, as well as 2.3.7 and earlier, indicating a widespread impact across multiple release branches.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of XML data structures within the product configuration saving functionality. When an administrator saves a configurable product, the system processes XML-formatted data that should be validated and sanitized before being parsed. However, the vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious XML content that bypasses normal validation checks. This injection occurs at the point where the system constructs XML documents for product configuration storage, creating an opportunity for attackers to execute arbitrary commands through the XML parsing engine. The attack vector requires administrative access, making it a privilege escalation vulnerability rather than a direct remote attack.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows for complete system compromise when an attacker gains administrative access. Once exploited, the vulnerability enables remote code execution which can lead to data theft, system modification, and complete control over the affected Magento instance. Organizations using vulnerable versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, payment information, and business-critical product configurations. The vulnerability also creates potential for persistent backdoor access and can be used to establish further footholds within network environments. Additionally, the compromise of a Magento platform can result in widespread business disruption, regulatory compliance violations, and financial losses.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of affected Magento Commerce installations to the latest supported versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement strict access controls and privilege management to limit administrative access to only essential personnel. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual administrative activities or XML processing patterns. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in custom code or third-party extensions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-94, which describes improper control of generation of code, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on the execution of malicious code through XML injection. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and input validation mechanisms to provide additional layers of protection against similar injection attacks.