CVE-2023-1191 in fastcms
Summary
by MITRE • 03/06/2023
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in fastcms. This affects an unknown part of the file admin/TemplateController.java of the component ZIP File Handler. The manipulation leads to path traversal. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. This product does not use versioning. This is why information about affected and unaffected releases are unavailable. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-222363.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-1191 represents a critical path traversal flaw within the fastcms application, specifically within the admin/TemplateController.java component that handles ZIP file operations. This security weakness falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-22, which defines path traversal vulnerabilities as conditions where an attacker can access files and directories outside the intended scope by manipulating file paths. The vulnerability exists in the ZIP file handler functionality, suggesting that when the system processes compressed files containing malicious path references, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the file paths before extraction or access operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows for remote exploitation, meaning that attackers can leverage this flaw without requiring physical access to the system or direct network proximity. The attack vector specifically targets the file path manipulation capabilities within the ZIP file processing logic, where the application does not adequately validate the integrity of file paths contained within compressed archives. This weakness enables adversaries to traverse the file system hierarchy and potentially access sensitive files, directories, or resources that should remain protected from unauthorized access. The fact that this vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and is known to be exploitable significantly increases the risk to affected systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, as it can potentially lead to complete system compromise depending on the permissions and configuration of the vulnerable application. Attackers could exploit this weakness to access configuration files, database credentials, application source code, or other sensitive data stored on the server. The lack of versioning information for the affected product compounds the security risk, as organizations cannot determine which versions are vulnerable or how to properly remediate the issue. This absence of version control information also makes it difficult for security teams to implement proper patch management strategies or assess the true scope of potential exposure within their environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-1191 should focus on immediate defensive measures including implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all file path operations, particularly those involving ZIP file processing. Organizations should consider implementing strict file path validation that rejects any path components containing directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\, and ensure that all file extraction operations occur within restricted directories. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls for the affected application components can help limit the potential damage from successful exploitation. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to the vulnerable application where possible, and organizations should monitor for any suspicious file access patterns or attempts to exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1074.001 which involves data staging through the use of remote services, and T1566.001 which covers spearphishing attachments, indicating that this vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious file attachments or remote service exploitation.