CVE-2022-0764 in strapi
Summary
by MITRE • 02/26/2022
Arbitrary Command Injection in GitHub repository strapi/strapi prior to 4.1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-0764 represents a critical arbitrary command injection flaw within the Strapi content management framework prior to version 4.1.0. This issue resides in the database migration and seeding functionality of the strapi repository, specifically affecting how the system processes user-provided input during database operations. The flaw allows malicious actors to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system by manipulating input parameters that are not properly sanitized or validated before being passed to system-level functions.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the strapi framework's database management components. When administrators or users interact with the migration and seeding features, the system accepts user-supplied data without adequate filtering mechanisms. This creates an environment where specially crafted input can bypass normal execution boundaries and directly invoke system commands through shell injection techniques. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited during routine administrative operations such as database migrations, seed data population, or backup restoration processes that typically require elevated privileges.
From an operational perspective, this command injection vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using affected versions of Strapi. Attackers who can access the administrative interface or exploit other entry points may execute malicious commands with the privileges of the running strapi process, potentially leading to full system compromise. The impact extends beyond immediate code execution to include data exfiltration, system persistence mechanisms, and lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability affects the core database management functionality, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to gain unauthorized access to backend systems and manipulate or extract sensitive data.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Strapi version 4.1.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds exist for the underlying code structure. The fix implemented in version 4.1.0 includes comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures that properly escape or filter user-supplied parameters before they are processed by system-level functions. Security teams should also implement network-level restrictions to limit access to administrative interfaces and monitor for suspicious database operations that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories related to command injection and code injection flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, highlighting the critical nature of preventing unauthorized command execution in web applications.