CVE-2020-15097
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-15097 is a path traversal vulnerability in loklak server that allows attackers to read and write arbitrary files on the server filesystem. This affects all loklak server instances running versions up to commit 5f48476. Attackers can access admin configuration files and potentially compromise the entire server.
💻 Affected Systems
- loklak server
📦 What is this software?
Loklak by Loklak Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete server compromise including credential theft, data exfiltration, and remote code execution through file writes.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive configuration files, elasticsearch data, and potential privilege escalation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation and file permissions restrict application access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires only HTTP requests to vulnerable API endpoints. No authentication needed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Commit 50dd692 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/loklak/loklak_server/security/advisories/GHSA-7557-4v29-rqw6
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Stop loklak server. 2. Update to latest version or at least commit 50dd692. 3. Restart loklak server.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
linuxRestrict access to loklak API endpoints using firewall rules
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9000 -s trusted_network -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9000 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate loklak server from untrusted networks
- Apply strict file system permissions to limit loklak process access to only necessary directories
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check git commit hash: git log --oneline -1. If commit is 5f48476 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
git log --oneline -1Verify Fix Applied:
Verify current commit is 50dd692 or later: git log --oneline -1 | grep 50dd692📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file path patterns in API requests
- Access to sensitive files like /etc/passwd, configuration files
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with ../ patterns in URL parameters
- Unusual file read/write patterns to loklak API
SIEM Query:
source="loklak.log" AND ("../" OR "/etc/" OR "/root/")🔗 References
- https://github.com/loklak/loklak_server/commit/50dd69230d3cd71dab0bfa7156682ffeca8ed8b9
- https://github.com/loklak/loklak_server/security/advisories/GHSA-7557-4v29-rqw6
- https://github.com/loklak/loklak_server/commit/50dd69230d3cd71dab0bfa7156682ffeca8ed8b9
- https://github.com/loklak/loklak_server/security/advisories/GHSA-7557-4v29-rqw6
