CVE-2022-35944 in October
Summary
by MITRE • 10/14/2022
October is a self-hosted Content Management System (CMS) platform based on the Laravel PHP Framework. This vulnerability only affects installations that rely on the safe mode restriction, commonly used when providing public access to the admin panel. Assuming an attacker has access to the admin panel and permission to open the "Editor" section, they can bypass the Safe Mode (`cms.safe_mode`) restriction to introduce new PHP code in a CMS template using a specially crafted request. The issue has been patched in versions 2.2.34 and 3.0.66.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-35944 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw within the October CMS platform, which operates as a self-hosted content management system built upon the Laravel PHP framework. This security weakness specifically targets installations that implement safe mode restrictions as a security control mechanism, commonly deployed to protect admin panels from unauthorized access by limiting user capabilities. The vulnerability exists in the way the system handles permission checks within the editor functionality, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to circumvent intended security boundaries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker with access to the admin panel and sufficient permissions to open the editor section can craft a specially formatted HTTP request that bypasses the cms.safe_mode restriction. This allows the malicious user to inject arbitrary PHP code directly into CMS templates, effectively transforming the editor from a content management tool into a code execution vector. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and insufficient access control checks within the template editing functionality, enabling attackers to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code on the server. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks as classified under CWE-285, where the system fails to properly verify that the user has appropriate permissions before allowing code injection operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with a direct pathway to achieve remote code execution on the affected server. Once successfully exploited, the attacker can execute arbitrary PHP code with the privileges of the web server, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms. The vulnerability affects installations that rely on safe mode as a security control, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that depend on this feature for protecting their admin interfaces. The attack vector requires only basic admin panel access and editor permissions, making it relatively accessible to threat actors who have already gained some level of access to the system. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting PHP-based systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately upgrade to October CMS versions 2.2.34 or 3.0.66, which contain the necessary patches to address the authorization bypass issue. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for unusual template modifications and code injections, particularly in environments where safe mode is enabled. The fix addresses the root cause by strengthening the access control checks within the editor functionality and ensuring that template modifications cannot bypass the safe mode restrictions regardless of the user's permissions. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of their October CMS installations to verify that the patch has been properly applied and that no unauthorized code modifications have occurred. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper access control implementation and the potential for seemingly minor permission checks to create critical security gaps that can be exploited for remote code execution.