CVE-2023-42462 in GLPI
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
GLPI stands for Gestionnaire Libre de Parc Informatique is a Free Asset and IT Management Software package, that provides ITIL Service Desk features, licenses tracking and software auditing. The document upload process can be diverted to delete some files. Users are advised to upgrade to version 10.0.10. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2023
The CVE-2023-42462 vulnerability affects GLPI, a widely-used open-source IT asset and service management platform that serves organizations requiring comprehensive ITIL service desk capabilities, license tracking, and software auditing functions. This vulnerability specifically targets the document upload functionality within the application, creating a critical security risk that could potentially allow unauthorized file deletion operations. The flaw exists in the file handling mechanism that processes user-uploaded documents, where improper input validation and access control measures fail to properly validate file operations before execution. Organizations relying on GLPI for critical IT infrastructure management face significant operational risks when this vulnerability remains unpatched, as it could enable attackers to manipulate the system's file storage mechanisms and potentially cause data loss or service disruption.
This vulnerability represents a directory traversal or file manipulation issue that falls under the CWE-22 category for Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, commonly known as Path Traversal. The technical implementation flaw stems from inadequate sanitization of file paths during the upload process, allowing malicious users to potentially manipulate file operations through crafted input sequences. The vulnerability enables an attacker to redirect the document upload process to perform unintended file deletion operations rather than the intended file storage actions. This type of vulnerability can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1486 for Data Encrypted for Impact, as it could potentially lead to broader system compromise through file manipulation. The lack of input validation in the file processing pipeline creates an attack surface where user-controlled data can influence the application's file system behavior.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-42462 extends beyond simple file deletion capabilities, as it represents a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture that could enable more sophisticated attacks. Organizations using GLPI for asset management, software auditing, and IT service desk operations face potential data integrity compromises that could affect their ability to maintain accurate inventory records, track software licenses, and provide reliable service desk support. The vulnerability could allow attackers to remove critical system files, corrupt database entries, or manipulate audit trails that are essential for compliance and operational continuity. In enterprise environments where GLPI serves as a central IT management tool, this vulnerability could result in service disruptions, regulatory compliance violations, and potential data loss that impacts business operations. The absence of known workarounds forces organizations to rely entirely on the vendor-provided patch, creating dependency risks for organizations with strict change management processes or those operating in highly regulated environments.
The recommended mitigation strategy centers exclusively on upgrading to GLPI version 10.0.10, which contains the necessary patches to address the file manipulation vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize this upgrade as a critical security measure and implement proper change management procedures to ensure the update is deployed across all affected systems without disruption to ongoing operations. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the vulnerable GLPI version within their infrastructure and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. The patch addresses the root cause by implementing proper input validation and access control mechanisms for file operations, preventing unauthorized path manipulation during document upload processes. Additionally, organizations should review their current security configurations and implement network segmentation to limit access to GLPI systems, while also establishing logging and monitoring capabilities to detect anomalous file system activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security controls for web applications handling user uploads, particularly in environments where sensitive IT asset and service management data resides.