CVE-2023-42248 in Visual Access Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 01/14/2025
An issue was discovered in Selesta Visual Access Manager (VAM) prior to 4.42.2. An authenticated attacker can write arbitrary files by manipulating POST parameters of the page "common/vam_Sql.php".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42248 affects Selesta Visual Access Manager (VAM) versions prior to 4.42.2, representing a critical file manipulation flaw that enables authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary file write operations. This vulnerability resides within the common/vam_Sql.php page, which processes POST parameters without adequate input validation or sanitization mechanisms. The flaw stems from insufficient parameter handling that allows malicious users to manipulate the application's file system operations through crafted HTTP requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic path traversal and file write issue where attacker-controlled input directly influences the application's file system operations. When an authenticated user submits malicious POST parameters to the vam_Sql.php endpoint, the application fails to validate or sanitize these inputs before using them in file system operations. This creates an opportunity for attackers to specify arbitrary file paths and content, potentially leading to unauthorized file creation, modification, or deletion within the application's directory structure. The vulnerability operates under CWE-22 which specifically addresses path traversal flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter to execute malicious code through manipulated parameters.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations using Selesta VAM, as it requires only authentication credentials to exploit. Once authenticated, an attacker can leverage this flaw to establish persistence mechanisms by writing malicious files to the application directory, potentially gaining remote code execution capabilities. The impact extends beyond simple file manipulation as it could enable attackers to overwrite critical application files, inject malicious code, or create backdoor access points within the system. The vulnerability also increases the attack surface for privilege escalation attacks, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to manipulate the application's core functionality and potentially access sensitive data or system resources.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Selesta VAM version 4.42.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit the number of authenticated users who can reach the vulnerable endpoint. Input validation should be implemented at multiple layers including application-level sanitization of POST parameters, web application firewall rules to detect and block suspicious parameter patterns, and regular security audits to monitor for unauthorized file system modifications. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of principle of least privilege implementation, where only necessary users should have access to database management interfaces, and comprehensive logging should be enabled to detect anomalous file system activities that may indicate exploitation attempts.