Today, I want to shine a spotlight on a significant discovery — a critical security vulnerability that has been identified in usememos/memos. This vulnerability, which falls under the category of Local File Inclusion (LFI), poses a grave threat to systems running versions of usememos/memos earlier than 0.13.2. This issue has been assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2023–4698. In this blog post, we’ll dissect this vulnerability, understand its implications, and emphasize the urgency of addressing it.
At the heart of this vulnerability is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) flaw. This type of vulnerability allows attackers to read arbitrary files on a server by exploiting weaknesses in the code. Specifically, this vulnerability arises from a flaw that enables attackers to manipulate the “InternalPath” parameter in a request, ultimately leading to the inclusion of files from the server’s file system.
The implications of successfully exploiting the Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability are far-reaching and deeply concerning. For systems running affected versions of usememos/memos (< 0.13.2), the consequences can include: Data Theft: Attackers can access sensitive files, such as configuration files and databases, potentially leading to data theft and privacy breaches. Server Compromise: In certain scenarios, LFI can escalate into Remote Code Execution (RCE), granting attackers the ability to execute arbitrary code on the target system, potentially resulting in complete server compromise. Secondary Attacks: LFI can serve as a stepping stone for launching additional attacks, including Directory Traversal, Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF), or Denial of Service (DoS). These attacks can further compromise the system or disrupt its normal operation.
This vulnerability stems from the code itself, primarily within the "resource.go" file, spanning lines 1 to 69. The core issue lies in the inadequate validation and sanitization of user input for the "InternalPath" field. This oversight enables attackers to supply a malicious value for "InternalPath" when creating or updating a Resource. This malicious input is then blindly utilized to access sensitive files within the server's file system.
For instance, an attacker might set the "InternalPath" field to "/etc/passwd" or "/proc/self/environ," attempting to retrieve sensitive files from the server. As a result, the server inadvertently discloses the contents of these internal files, potentially exposing highly sensitive information.
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Let's prioritize security and protect our systems from potential threats. Stay vigilant! 💻🔒