CVE-2024-23946 - Understanding the Critical Path Traversal Vulnerability in Apache OFBiz and the Recommended Solution

Recently, a new security vulnerability, registered as CVE-2024-23946, has been discovered affecting Apache OFBiz, a popular open-source enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. This vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit a path traversal issue, potentially enabling file inclusion and affecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. In this article, we will delve deeper into the details of this vulnerability, examine a code snippet illustrating the problem, and provide recommendations on how to upgrade to a safer version of Apache OFBiz.

What is Apache OFBiz?

Apache OFBiz is a widely used open-source software suite that offers a comprehensive set of tools and functionalities to help businesses manage various aspects, such as accounting, manufacturing, customer relationship management (CRM), and e-commerce. For more information, visit the Apache OFBiz official website.

Vulnerability Details (CVE-2024-23946)

The vulnerability exists due to an insufficient validation of user-supplied input in handling file paths within Apache OFBiz. An attacker can craft a special, e.g., JavaScript file, that will be executed in the victim's browser in the context of the vulnerable application, enabling the attacker to include arbitrary files that should not be accessible. Specifically, when a user uploads a malicious file, the server may incorrectly parse the user-supplied path information, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive files and directories.

Exploiting this vulnerability could have severe consequences, such as unauthorized access to sensitive data, manipulation of application data, and denial of service attacks, impairing the organization's operations and leading to reputation damage.

Below is a code snippet that shows the vulnerability

public static void includeFile(String fileName, HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws MalformedURLException, IOException {
    ...
    String filePath = request.getPathInfo();
    // Incorrect verification of user-supplied path
    if(!filePath.isEmpty() && filePath.startsWith("/")) {
        filePath = filePath.substring(1);
    }
    // Vulnerable to path traversal and file inclusion
    request.getRequestDispatcher(filePath + fileName).include(request, response);
}

In the code above, the user-supplied path is not sufficiently validated to prevent path traversal, allowing an attacker to create a malicious file path that starts with a slash. This file path will then be included in the subsequent RequestDispatcher call, leading to potential file inclusion.

Remediation

To mitigate this vulnerability and protect your systems against exploitation, it is highly recommended to upgrade your Apache OFBiz installation to version 18.12.12. The upgrade includes patched security updates that fix the path traversal vulnerability.

You can download the latest version from the Apache OFBiz download page.

Additionally, it would be best to have regular security audits in place and keep your software stack up-to-date with new releases and security patches.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-23946 highlights the importance of understanding critical security vulnerabilities and keeping open-source technologies updated and protected. By upgrading to Apache OFBiz 18.12.12, organizations can prevent potential attacks and safeguard their sensitive information.

In the future, always make sure to check the Apache OFBiz mailing list and the Apache Security Reports page for updates on security vulnerabilities and recommended solutions.

Timeline

Published on: 02/29/2024 01:44:11 UTC
Last modified on: 03/12/2024 17:29:17 UTC