CVE-2023-2453 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE-2023-2453 was published on September 5, 2023, and affects PHPFusion versions up to 9.10.30. The vulnerability was discovered by Matthew Hogg. It involves a local file inclusion (LFI) in Forum Infusion via directory traversal, allowing arbitrary files with the '.php' extension to be included and executed.

Understanding CVE-2023-2453

This section will cover what CVE-2023-2453 entails, its impacts, technical details, affected systems, exploitation mechanism, and mitigation steps.

What is CVE-2023-2453?

The CVE-2023-2453 vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of tainted file names that are directly concatenated with a path passed to a 'require_once' statement in PHPFusion. This paves the way for arbitrary '.php' files to be included and executed when their absolute path is known. Notably, there are currently no known means in PHPFusion for an attacker to upload and target a '.php' file payload.

The Impact of CVE-2023-2453

The impact is categorized as high severity. It falls under CAPEC-252, which refers to PHP Local File Inclusion. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems are all at risk, with a base score of 8.8 out of 10.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-2453

This section delves into the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, and the exploitation mechanism associated with CVE-2023-2453.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from inadequate sanitization of file names concatenated with a path passed to a 'require_once' statement, enabling the inclusion and execution of arbitrary '.php' files.

Affected Systems and Versions

PHPFusion versions up to 9.10.30 are affected by this LFI vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

By knowing the absolute path of a '.php' file, an attacker can include and execute arbitrary files via the vulnerability.

Mitigation and Prevention

In response to CVE-2023-2453, certain steps can be taken to mitigate the potential risks posed by this vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Disabling the 'Forum' Infusion through the admin panel can eliminate the endpoint exploited by the vulnerability, thereby preventing the issue. Alternatively, employing technologies like a web application firewall can help mitigate exploitation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly updating PHPFusion to the latest secure versions and conducting security assessments can enhance the overall security posture against such vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensuring timely application of patches released by PHPFusion for CVE-2023-2453 is vital to address the vulnerability and protect the system from potential exploitation.