CVE-2022-42925 - Forma LMS 3.1. and Earlier: Authenticated Student Privilege Escalation via Plugin Zip File Upload

A critical vulnerability has been discovered in the Forma LMS versions 3.1. and earlier (CVE-2022-42925) that could potentially allow an attacker with authenticated access (having the role of a student) to escalate their privileges by uploading a malicious Zip file through the plugin upload component. Exploiting this vulnerability can result in injecting remote code and compromising the target system.

Exploit Details

The Forma LMS application allows an authenticated attacker to exploit this vulnerability by using the plugin upload component to upload a specially crafted Zip file containing malicious code. The attacker simply needs to craft a Zip archive with a malicious PHP script inside. Then, they need to access the plugin upload component of the application and upload the crafted Zip file. After the upload is successful, the attacker can access the malicious script by using a web browser or other tools to invoke the script and execute their malicious code.

Here's an example of a simple PHP script that an attacker might include in a malicious Zip file

<?php
    echo "This is a malicious script";
    // Attacker's malicious code goes here
?>

Once the script is uploaded and executed on the victim's server, the attacker might have the ability to escalate privileges, manipulate files on the target system, or even install additional backdoors and exploits to maintain access.

Original References

The vulnerability was first mentioned in the CVE security database: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-42925

The Forma LMS project repository on GitHub acknowledges the vulnerability and recommends users to update to the latest version: https://github.com/formalms/FormaLMS

Mitigation Actions

To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to update their Forma LMS installations to the latest available version. In case updating is not a viable option, administrators can temporarily restrict the plugin upload functionality, ensure proper access controls and user role management, and closely monitor the application for any suspicious activity.

Users are also recommended to stay informed about the known vulnerabilities and security updates, follow the Forma LMS project updates, and apply appropriate security patches as soon as they are available.

Conclusion

The Forma LMS versions 3.1. and earlier suffer from a critical vulnerability (CVE-2022-42925) that allows an authenticated attacker with student privileges to escalate their access level. The attacker can achieve this by uploading a malicious Zip file through the plugin upload component, leading to remote code injection. As a user or administrator of Forma LMS, it's crucial to stay informed about the known vulnerabilities and security updates, and apply necessary patches to protect your application from exploits.

Timeline

Published on: 10/31/2022 20:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/01/2022 17:30:00 UTC