CVE-2024-22889 in Plone
Summary
by MITRE • 03/06/2024
Due to incorrect access control in Plone version v6.0.9, remote attackers can view and list all files hosted on the website via sending a crafted request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-22889 represents a critical access control flaw within the Plone content management system version 6.0.9. This issue stems from inadequate permission checking mechanisms that fail to properly validate user privileges before exposing sensitive file listing functionality. The flaw allows unauthenticated or low-privileged attackers to craft specific requests that bypass normal access controls, enabling them to enumerate and potentially access files that should be restricted to authorized users only. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of file-based resources stored within the Plone environment, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on the platform for content management and document storage.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through improper validation of user permissions within the file listing and retrieval components of Plone's architecture. When legitimate requests are processed through the system's access control layer, the application fails to correctly verify whether the requesting entity possesses adequate privileges to view the requested files. This weakness can be exploited through crafted HTTP requests that manipulate parameters or headers to circumvent the normal authorization checks. The flaw likely resides in the application's permission checking logic where it either completely bypasses access control verification or fails to properly enforce role-based access controls that should restrict file visibility based on user authentication status and assigned permissions. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control issues, while the ATT&CK framework would categorize this under T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering techniques that could be employed to exploit such weaknesses.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-22889 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with comprehensive visibility into the file structure of affected Plone installations. This reconnaissance capability enables threat actors to identify sensitive documents, configuration files, or resources that may contain credentials, system information, or other valuable data. The ability to enumerate all hosted files creates a comprehensive attack surface mapping that could lead to further exploitation opportunities, including the potential discovery of backup files, temporary documents, or files with weak permissions. Organizations using Plone version 6.0.9 may face significant data exposure risks, particularly those handling confidential information, intellectual property, or regulated data. The vulnerability affects not just individual files but the entire file repository structure, making it a particularly concerning issue for enterprises that rely on Plone for managing sensitive content and documents.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-22889 must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar access control failures. Organizations should immediately upgrade to a patched version of Plone that resolves the access control validation issues, as this represents the most effective immediate solution. Additionally, implementing network-level restrictions such as firewall rules that limit access to file listing endpoints, deploying web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious requests, and conducting comprehensive access control reviews should be considered. The ATT&CK framework suggests implementing defensive measures such as limiting the scope of file listing functionality and ensuring that all access control decisions are made server-side with proper validation. Organizations should also conduct thorough penetration testing and security audits to identify any other potential access control weaknesses in their Plone implementations. Regular security updates, proper configuration management, and maintaining updated security baselines are essential practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include multiple layers of access control verification and continuous monitoring of file access patterns to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.