CVE-2023-49753 - Adifier System Path Traversal Vulnerability Leading to PHP Local File Inclusion in Versions Prior to 3.1.4

Recently, a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) entry, identified as CVE-2023-49753, has been registered for an Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory (popularly known as 'Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Adifier System developed by spoonthemes. This vulnerability enables PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI), potentially allowing an attacker to execute malicious code on the target system. The issue affects versions of Adifier System from n/a before 3.1.4. In this post, we'll take a detailed look into the vulnerability, its underlying cause, and ways to exploit and mitigate the risk.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability exists in the Adifier System, a classified ads software suite, due to an insufficient limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory. This makes the system susceptible to path traversal attacks through PHP Local File Inclusion. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker with the right set of skills can potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive files and even execute malicious code on the target system.

The vulnerability has been designated as CVE-2023-49753, in accordance with the CVE naming convention. The affected software is spoonthemes Adifier System, specifically with versions starting from n/a up to but not including version 3.1.4.

Exploitation

The path traversal vulnerability can be exploited through a few well-crafted requests to the vulnerable application. For demonstration purposes, we'll discuss a sample exploit for CVE-2023-49753. Please note that this is for educational purposes only and should not be used for malicious intent.

1. Craft an HTTP request to include a local file from the target system. The request should look similar to the following example:

GET /adifier_system/vulnerable_page.php?file=../../../../../../../etc/passwd HTTP/1.1
Host: target_site.com

2. If the target system is vulnerable, the response to this HTTP request will contain the contents of '/etc/passwd' file from the server, confirming the successful exploitation of the vulnerability.

Original References

This vulnerability was first reported through the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) project. You can find the original CVE entry with more technical details at the following link:

- https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-49753

Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability and protect your Adifier System installation from potential exploitation, it is crucial to update the software to the latest available version. The developers of Adifier System have addressed this issue in version 3.1.4, which you can download from their official website.

In addition to updating the software, it is also essential to follow secure coding practices, such as input validation and restrictions on the use of particular directory traversal characters. This can help in ensuring that similar vulnerabilities don't arise in the future.

Conclusion

In summary, CVE-2023-49753 is a path traversal vulnerability in spoonthemes Adifier System that allows PHP Local File Inclusion. It affects versions of the software starting from n/a before 3.1.4. While the vulnerability poses a potential risk to affected systems, updating the software to the latest version and adopting secure coding practices are crucial to minimize the potential for exploitation. Be sure to update your Adifier System to version 3.1.4 or higher and stay vigilant about the security of your systems by keeping an eye on the latest vulnerability notifications and updates.

Timeline

Published on: 05/17/2024 09:15:14 UTC
Last modified on: 06/04/2024 17:27:44 UTC