CVE-2023-49565 in CBIS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/18/2025
The cbis_manager Podman container is vulnerable to remote command execution via the /api/plugins endpoint. Improper sanitization of the HTTP Headers X-FILENAME, X-PAGE, and X-FIELD allows for command injection. These headers are directly utilized within the subprocess.Popen Python function without adequate validation, enabling a remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system by crafting malicious header values within an HTTP request to the affected endpoint. The web service executes with root privileges within the container environment, the demonstrated remote code execution permits an attacker to acquire elevated privileges for the command execution. Restricting access to the management network with an external firewall can partially mitigate this risk.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-49565 affects the cbis_manager Podman container and represents a critical remote command execution flaw that arises from improper input validation within the /api/plugins endpoint. This security weakness stems from the container's failure to adequately sanitize HTTP headers including X-FILENAME, X-PAGE, and X-FIELD, which are subsequently processed by the subprocess.Popen Python function. The absence of proper validation mechanisms creates a direct pathway for attackers to inject malicious commands that are then executed within the container's execution context. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that the web service operates with root privileges, meaning that successful exploitation would grant attackers full administrative control over the underlying system. This privilege escalation capability transforms what might otherwise be a limited remote code execution vulnerability into a critical threat that could compromise the entire containerized environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established pattern of command injection attacks where attacker-controlled input is directly incorporated into system commands without proper sanitization. When the affected endpoint receives HTTP requests containing malicious values within the specified headers, these values are passed directly to subprocess.Popen, which executes them as shell commands. This represents a classic CWE-78 vulnerability classification, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in OS commands. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication to exploit, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can reach the container's network interface. The Python subprocess module's behavior, when used without proper input validation, creates a dangerous environment where user-supplied data can be interpreted as executable commands, leading to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass complete system compromise and potential lateral movement within network environments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, and potentially use the compromised container as a foothold for attacking other systems within the network. The fact that the service runs with root privileges means that exploitation provides attackers with unrestricted access to all system resources, files, and processes running on the host. This could enable attackers to exfiltrate sensitive data, deploy additional malware, modify system configurations, or use the compromised system as a pivot point for attacking other networked devices. The vulnerability's exposure through the /api/plugins endpoint suggests that it could be exploited by attackers targeting containerized applications or services, potentially affecting organizations that rely on Podman container management systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-49565 should address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. The primary recommendation involves implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all HTTP headers that are processed by system commands, particularly those that feed into subprocess.Popen functions. Organizations should apply the most recent security patches from the vendor to address the underlying vulnerability, while also implementing network-level controls to restrict access to the affected endpoint. The suggested firewall-based mitigation provides partial protection but should be complemented with additional security measures such as implementing proper access controls, network segmentation, and monitoring for suspicious header values. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious header values, as well as conducting comprehensive security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the containerized environment. The remediation process should include thorough code review to ensure that all subprocess calls are properly validated and that no other similar injection vulnerabilities exist within the application's codebase, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.003 for command and scripting interpreter execution.