CVE-2022-24840 in django-s3file
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2022
django-s3file is a lightweight file upload input for Django and Amazon S3 . In versions prior to 5.5.1 it was possible to traverse the entire AWS S3 bucket and in most cases to access or delete files. If the `AWS_LOCATION` setting was set, traversal was limited to that location only. The issue was discovered by the maintainer. There were no reports of the vulnerability being known to or exploited by a third party, prior to the release of the patch. The vulnerability has been fixed in version 5.5.1 and above. There is no feasible workaround. We must urge all users to immediately updated to a patched version.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/11/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-24840 affects the django-s3file library, a Django extension designed to facilitate file uploads to Amazon S3 storage. This library serves as a lightweight input mechanism for handling file uploads within Django applications, creating a bridge between the web application and AWS S3 infrastructure. The flaw represents a critical security weakness that allows unauthorized access to S3 storage resources, potentially compromising entire storage buckets and their contents. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions prior to 5.5.1, making it essential for organizations to assess their current deployments and implement immediate updates to mitigate risk.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and path traversal mechanisms within the django-s3file library implementation. When the AWS_LOCATION setting is configured, the library should restrict file operations to that specific location within the S3 bucket. However, the flaw allows attackers to bypass these restrictions and traverse the entire S3 bucket structure. This occurs because the library fails to properly sanitize or validate file paths before executing S3 operations, enabling malicious users to craft requests that access files outside of the intended scope. The vulnerability operates at the application level, leveraging the library's interaction with AWS S3 APIs to perform unauthorized operations across the storage infrastructure. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-23 Relative Path Traversal, which specifically address improper handling of file paths and directory traversal attacks in software systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-24840 is severe and multifaceted, potentially leading to data exposure, data loss, and unauthorized modifications within affected S3 buckets. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could access sensitive files stored in the S3 bucket, including user data, application configuration files, and potentially confidential business information. The ability to delete files represents an additional threat vector that could result in data destruction and service disruption. Organizations utilizing django-s3file in their Django applications face significant risk of compromise, particularly if they store sensitive data in their S3 buckets. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of data stored in AWS S3 environments, potentially violating compliance requirements and regulatory standards such as those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability provides a direct pathway to access and manipulate S3 resources without requiring additional authentication credentials beyond those already established for the Django application.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly under techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation. The vulnerability enables an attacker to gain access to resources that should be restricted, potentially allowing for further lateral movement within the AWS environment or exploitation of other interconnected systems. The lack of reported exploitation prior to the patch release suggests that this vulnerability may have remained undetected, highlighting the importance of proactive security measures and regular vulnerability assessments. Organizations implementing the django-s3file library must conduct immediate risk assessment to determine the scope of potential impact and implement the necessary patch updates to version 5.5.1 or higher. Given that no feasible workaround exists, the vulnerability requires immediate remediation through software updates, emphasizing the critical nature of maintaining up-to-date dependencies in web application environments. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and access control mechanisms in cloud storage integration libraries, as well as the necessity of regular security audits of third-party components used in production applications.