CVE-2021-37367 in CTparental
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2021
CTparental before 4.45.07 is affected by a code execution vulnerability in the CTparental admin panel. Because The file "bl_categories_help.php" is vulnerable to directory traversal, an attacker can create a file that contains scripts and run arbitrary commands.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-37367 affects CTparental software versions prior to 4.45.07 and represents a critical code execution flaw within the administrative panel interface. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation in the file bl_categories_help.php which fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied data. The flaw allows attackers to exploit directory traversal mechanisms to upload malicious files containing executable scripts that can be subsequently executed within the target system environment.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-22 category known as "Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')", which is a well-documented weakness in software systems where applications fail to properly validate file paths before processing user input. The attack vector specifically targets the administrative interface of CTparental, providing threat actors with elevated privileges to manipulate the underlying system. The directory traversal vulnerability enables attackers to bypass normal access controls and write files to arbitrary locations within the application's directory structure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows remote code execution capabilities that can be leveraged for complete system compromise. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can upload malicious scripts that execute arbitrary commands on the target system, potentially leading to data breaches, system infiltration, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability affects the administrative panel functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it provides attackers with elevated privileges that can be used to modify system configurations, install backdoors, or exfiltrate data from the network.
From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple techniques including T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1078.004 (Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts) when attackers leverage the administrative interface. The vulnerability also aligns with T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) as attackers may use this flaw to deliver malicious payloads through compromised administrative sessions. Organizations using CTparental versions prior to 4.45.07 face significant risk of unauthorized system access and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the affected software to version 4.45.07 or later, which addresses the directory traversal vulnerability in bl_categories_help.php. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to restrict administrative interface access to trusted networks only. Input validation should be enhanced to prevent directory traversal attacks, and file upload restrictions should be enforced with strict content type validation. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect suspicious file upload activities and unusual administrative access patterns to provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other software components within the organization's attack surface.