CVE-2022-46154 in Kodexplorer
Summary
by MITRE • 12/06/2022
Kodexplorer is a chinese language web based file manager and browser based code editor. Versions prior to 4.50 did not prevent unauthenticated users from requesting arbitrary files from the host OS file system. As a result any files available to the host process may be accessed by arbitrary users. This issue has been addressed in version 4.50. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-46154 affects Kodexplorer, a Chinese-language web-based file manager and browser-based code editor that has gained significant adoption in enterprise environments for its comprehensive file management capabilities. This web application serves as a critical interface for users to navigate and manipulate files on remote servers, making it a potentially attractive target for attackers seeking unauthorized access to sensitive data. The vulnerability represents a severe authorization flaw that fundamentally undermines the security model of the application, as it allows any unauthenticated user to bypass normal access controls and directly access files within the host operating system's file structure.
The technical flaw manifests as an insufficient input validation mechanism within the file access functionality of Kodexplorer versions prior to 4.50. When users make requests to the application's file handling endpoints, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize file path parameters, enabling attackers to craft malicious requests that traverse the file system using relative paths or symbolic links. This vulnerability specifically enables path traversal attacks where arbitrary file names can be passed to the application's file handling functions, allowing access to files that should normally be restricted to authorized users. The flaw essentially creates a direct bridge between the web application's interface and the underlying operating system, permitting unauthorized file access without any authentication requirements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized file access, as it provides attackers with the ability to read sensitive files that may contain database credentials, configuration files, application source code, user data, or system information that could be used for further exploitation. Attackers could potentially access critical system files such as password hashes, SSL certificates, backup files, or application configuration files that contain sensitive information about the system architecture. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Kodexplorer is deployed on servers containing sensitive corporate data, as it allows attackers to systematically enumerate and access files that may contain intellectual property, customer data, or internal system information that could be used for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. This vulnerability also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing), as attackers could use this vulnerability to discover and exfiltrate sensitive files from the system. The lack of authentication requirements makes this particularly dangerous as it requires no valid credentials to exploit, and the absence of known workarounds means that organizations must immediately upgrade to address the vulnerability. The vulnerability represents a critical security gap that allows attackers to bypass fundamental access controls, potentially leading to complete system compromise if sensitive files containing authentication tokens, database credentials, or system configuration information are accessible through this flaw.
Organizations utilizing Kodexplorer should immediately implement the upgrade to version 4.50 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds exist for this particular flaw. The upgrade process should be carefully planned to ensure minimal disruption to users while providing immediate protection against exploitation. Security teams should also conduct thorough assessments of systems that may have been exposed to this vulnerability, reviewing access logs for any suspicious activity that may have occurred during the vulnerability window. Additional defensive measures including network segmentation, web application firewalls, and monitoring for suspicious file access patterns should be implemented as part of a comprehensive security strategy to protect against similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper input validation and access control mechanisms in web applications, particularly those handling file system operations that could provide access to sensitive system resources.