CVE-2022-26960 in elFinder
Summary
by MITRE • 03/21/2022
connector.minimal.php in std42 elFinder through 2.1.60 is affected by path traversal. This allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read, write, and browse files outside the configured document root. This is due to improper handling of absolute file paths.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-26960 affects the std42 elFinder file manager version 2.1.60 and earlier, representing a critical path traversal flaw that undermines the security boundaries of the application. This vulnerability specifically resides within the connector.minimal.php component, which serves as a core interface for file operations within the elFinder ecosystem. The flaw enables unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass the intended document root restrictions and access files outside the designated web root directory, fundamentally compromising the application's access control mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of file paths during file operations, allowing malicious actors to manipulate input parameters to traverse the file system hierarchy beyond the intended boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the improper handling of absolute file paths within the file manager's backend processing logic. When the connector.minimal.php component processes file operations, it fails to properly sanitize or validate absolute path inputs, allowing attackers to inject malicious path sequences that can navigate to arbitrary locations on the server filesystem. This flaw is classified under CWE-22, which specifically addresses path traversal vulnerabilities, where the system allows access to files and directories that are outside the intended scope. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects the minimal connector, which typically handles basic file operations and is often exposed to remote users without authentication requirements. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to read sensitive configuration files, access database credentials, browse system directories, and potentially execute arbitrary code if they can upload malicious files to writable locations.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-26960 extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, creating a significant threat surface for compromised systems. Remote attackers can systematically enumerate directory structures, access sensitive files such as configuration files, database connection details, and potentially user credentials stored in plaintext within the application's directory structure. The vulnerability's unauthenticated nature means that any remote user can exploit it without requiring valid credentials, making it particularly dangerous in publicly accessible web applications. This flaw can be exploited to gain insights into the server environment, identify other potential vulnerabilities, and potentially establish persistent access through the compromise of application configuration files or the upload of malicious payloads. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers directory listing, and T1566, which covers spearphishing attachments, as attackers can use this vulnerability to discover system resources and potentially escalate privileges through the compromise of sensitive files.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of std42 elFinder should immediately implement mitigations to address this vulnerability, including updating to the patched version 2.1.61 or later that resolves the path traversal flaw. The most effective immediate mitigation involves implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all file path parameters, ensuring that absolute paths are rejected or properly normalized before processing. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and restricting direct exposure of the minimal connector to untrusted networks can significantly reduce the attack surface. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of their file manager configurations to ensure that document root restrictions are properly enforced and that no unnecessary file operations are exposed to remote users. Regular security monitoring should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts, and network segmentation should be employed to limit lateral movement if compromise occurs. The vulnerability's classification as a path traversal issue also necessitates a review of all file handling components within the application stack to ensure similar flaws have not been introduced elsewhere in the system architecture.