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October CMS safe mode bypass using Page template injection

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Nov 29, 2023 in octobercms/october • Updated Dec 4, 2023

Package

composer october/system (Composer)

Affected versions

>= 3.0.0, < 3.4.15

Patched versions

3.4.15

Description

Impact

An authenticated backend user with the editor.cms_pages, editor.cms_layouts, or editor.cms_partials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safe_mode being enabled can craft a special request to include PHP code in the CMS template.

This is not a problem for anyone who trusts their users with those permissions to usually write & manage PHP within the CMS by not having cms.safe_mode enabled. Still, it would be a problem for anyone relying on cms.safe_mode to ensure that users with those permissions in production do not have access to write and execute arbitrary PHP.

Patches

This issue has been patched in v3.4.15.

Workarounds

As a workaround, remove the specified permissions from untrusted users.

References

Credits to:

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

References

@daftspunk daftspunk published to octobercms/october Nov 29, 2023
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Nov 29, 2023
Reviewed Nov 29, 2023
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Dec 1, 2023
Last updated Dec 4, 2023

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(39th percentile)

Weaknesses

Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')

The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2023-44381

GHSA ID

GHSA-q22j-5r3g-9hmh

Source code

Credits

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