A recently discovered security vulnerability affecting Adobe Commerce versions 2.4.7-beta1 (and earlier), 2.4.6-p2 (and earlier), 2.4.5-p4 (and earlier), and 2.4.4-p5 (and earlier) now has a specific identifier, CVE-2023-38218. This critical vulnerability, known as an "Incorrect Authorization" issue, allows an authenticated attacker to gain unauthorized access to certain information and escalate privileges, potentially causing significant harm to businesses and user data.

2.4.4-p5 (and earlier)

These versions are susceptible due to incorrect authorization checks in certain functionality, allowing an attacker with valid login credentials to escalate their privileges and potentially gain access to confidential information.

Security Flaw Analysis

Adobe Commerce, formerly known as Magento, is an open-source e-commerce platform that powers numerous online stores. The platform is constructed using the PHP programming language, and it relies on various components, including the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture.

The incorrect authorization issue stems from inadequate permission checks in certain controller actions. An authenticated user with restricted access can exploit these permission vulnerabilities, enabling them to access or modify data they should not have access to.

Let's analyze a code snippet from an example controller, where the issue may have occurred

class ExampleController extends ActionController
{
   public function execute()
   {
       $id = $this->getRequest()->getParam('id');
       $model = $this->_objectManager->create('Vendor\Module\Model\Example')->load($id);

       if (!$model->getId()) {
           $this->messageManager->addError(__('This item no longer exists.'));
           $this->_redirect('*/*/');
           return;
       }

       // Incorrect authorization check; authenticated user can access without proper permission
       $this->_view->loadLayout();
       $this->_view->renderLayout();
   }
}

In this simplified example, an authenticated user could use this controller action to access the $model object without having the necessary permissions, thus exposing sensitive data.

Exploit Details

To exploit CVE-2023-38218, an attacker must first create a valid user account or gain access to one of the existing user accounts on the affected Adobe Commerce platform. Upon successful authentication, the attacker can start exploring vulnerable actions bypassing permission checks and gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data and functionality.

Depending on the exposed actions and data available, the attacker might be able to escalate their privileges, gaining administrative control over the affected commerce platform.

Mitigation Guidance

To protect your Adobe Commerce platform from this critical Incorrect Authorization vulnerability (CVE-2023-38218), Adobe highly recommends updating to the latest available version. You can find information on the latest Adobe Commerce versions and the update process in the official Adobe Commerce documentation here.

In addition, maintaining healthy security practices, such as implementing proper access controls and employing strong, unique passwords for every user account is crucial.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-38218 is a critical security vulnerability affecting multiple versions of Adobe Commerce, potentially exposing sensitive information and allowing for privilege escalation. To safeguard your commerce platform and customer data, updating to the latest Adobe Commerce version and implementing proactive security measures is strongly advised.

Sources

- Adobe Commerce Security Update
- Official Adobe Commerce Documentation

Timeline

Published on: 10/13/2023 07:15:40 UTC
Last modified on: 12/04/2023 16:54:09 UTC