CVE-2022-25768 in Mautic
Summary
by MITRE • 09/19/2024
The logic in place to facilitate the update process via the user interface lacks access control to verify if permission exists to perform the tasks. Prior to this patch being applied it might be possible for an attacker to access the Mautic version number or to execute parts of the upgrade process without permission. As upgrading in the user interface is deprecated, this functionality is no longer required.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2022-25768 represents a critical access control flaw within the Mautic content management system that undermines the security of its upgrade functionality. This issue stems from inadequate authorization checks during the user interface based update process, creating a pathway for unauthorized users to potentially access sensitive system information or execute upgrade operations without proper privileges. The flaw specifically affects the administrative interface where users interact with the system's upgrade mechanisms, highlighting a fundamental weakness in the application's permission validation logic.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the absence of proper authentication and authorization verification when users attempt to access upgrade-related functionalities through the web interface. Attackers who can access the Mautic administrative panel may exploit this weakness to either discover the current version number of the system or potentially initiate upgrade processes that should be restricted to authorized administrators only. This lack of access control validation creates a privilege escalation vector that could allow malicious actors to gain unauthorized control over system updates, potentially leading to system compromise or service disruption.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Mautic for their marketing automation needs. The ability to access version information could provide attackers with valuable intelligence for targeting known vulnerabilities in specific Mautic versions, while unauthorized upgrade execution could result in system instability, data corruption, or even complete system compromise if the upgrade process is manipulated. The fact that this functionality is deprecated in Mautic further complicates the security posture, as it indicates that the development team has already recognized the risks associated with this interface but failed to properly secure it before removal.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization issues in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should govern all administrative functions. From an attacker's perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves the use of elevated privileges to execute malicious code or manipulate system functions. Organizations utilizing Mautic should consider this vulnerability as a high-priority risk that requires immediate remediation through the application of the appropriate security patch. The patch addresses the core access control issue by implementing proper authorization checks before allowing any upgrade-related operations to proceed, ensuring that only users with appropriate administrative privileges can access these critical system functions.
Security practitioners should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging controls around upgrade activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The deprecated nature of the user interface upgrade functionality in Mautic suggests that organizations should migrate to alternative upgrade methods that do not rely on web-based interfaces, further reducing the attack surface. Proper access control implementation in this context demonstrates the importance of applying security controls at all levels of application architecture, from user authentication through to specific function authorization, as outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 security standards.