CVE-2026-102261 in Camaleon CMS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2026
A flaw has been found in owen2345 Camaleon CMS up to 2.9.2. Impacted is the function crop of the file app/controllers/camaleon_cms/admin/media_controller.rb of the component Media Crop Handler. This manipulation of the argument saved_avatar causes authorization bypass. The attack may be initiated remotely. The exploit has been published and may be used. Upgrading to version 2.9.3 is recommended to address this issue. Patch name: c143e145caa600947e70a240e87f2fed889149d3. It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2026
The vulnerability identified in Owen2345 Camaleon CMS versions up to 2.9.2 represents a critical authorization bypass within the Media Crop Handler component, specifically located in the crop function of the app/controllers/camaleon_cms/admin/media_controller.rb file. This flaw stems from improper validation and handling of the saved_avatar argument passed during media cropping operations. The core technical issue involves insufficient access control checks that allow an attacker to manipulate this specific parameter to bypass intended authorization mechanisms. By exploiting this logic error, a remote actor can perform actions on behalf of authenticated users or escalate privileges without proper verification, effectively circumventing the security boundaries established by the application's role-based access controls.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 Improper Authorization and CWE-798 Use of Hard-coded Credentials if the bypass relies on default configurations, though it primarily manifests as an authorization flaw where input validation is insufficient to prevent unauthorized state changes or resource manipulation. The attack vector is classified as remote (CWE-306), meaning no local access or physical proximity is required for exploitation. An attacker can initiate this exploit over a network connection by crafting specific HTTP requests that target the media crop endpoint with maliciously constructed saved_avatar parameters. This capability significantly increases the risk profile of the application, as it allows for potential unauthorized modification of user avatars, which may serve as a vector for further attacks such as cross-site scripting if the avatar is rendered without proper sanitization in subsequent views.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation. Successful exploitation can lead to data integrity issues within the CMS, allowing attackers to alter profile information associated with various user accounts. In environments where Camaleon CMS manages sensitive content or serves as a portal for multiple stakeholders, such an authorization bypass undermines trust and compliance requirements related to access control policies. Furthermore, because the exploit has been published in public repositories, automated scanning tools and malicious actors can readily leverage this knowledge to target unpatched instances at scale. This reduces the barrier to entry significantly compared to zero-day vulnerabilities that lack available proof-of-concept code, thereby increasing the likelihood of widespread compromise across organizations still running affected versions.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required to upgrade Camaleon CMS to version 2.9.3 or later, which incorporates the patch identified by commit hash c143e145caa600947e70a240e87f2fed889149d3. This update addresses the underlying logic flaw in the media controller's crop function by enforcing stricter validation on the saved_avatar argument and ensuring that authorization checks are correctly applied before processing user inputs. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls to monitor for anomalous requests targeting the /admin/media/crop endpoint, particularly those containing unusual parameter structures indicative of exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews focusing on input handling in administrative controllers can help identify similar vulnerabilities across other components of the CMS ecosystem before they are exploited by adversaries leveraging techniques documented under MITRE ATT&CK ID T1078 Valid Accounts or T1548 Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism depending on the specific outcome achieved.