CVE-2020-28692
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Gila CMS 1.16.0 allows attackers to upload malicious PHP shell files to the temporary directory and execute them by abusing the .htaccess configuration through the logs function. This affects all users running Gila CMS 1.16.0 with default configurations, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- Gila CMS
📦 What is this software?
Gila Cms by Gilacms
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full remote code execution leading to complete server takeover, data exfiltration, and lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Unauthenticated attacker gains web shell access with the privileges of the web server process, enabling file manipulation, data theft, and further exploitation.
If Mitigated
Attack fails due to proper file upload restrictions, directory permissions, or web server configuration hardening.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public exploit code is available on GitHub, making this easily weaponizable by attackers with minimal technical skill.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: Not available
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch exists. Upgrade to a newer version if available, or apply workarounds.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict file uploads in tmp directory
linuxConfigure web server to prevent execution of PHP files in the tmp directory and restrict file uploads.
# In .htaccess or Apache config for tmp directory:
<FilesMatch "\.php$">
Deny from all
</FilesMatch>
# Restrict uploads to specific file types only
Disable logs function if unused
allRemove or disable access to the vulnerable logs function in Gila CMS.
# Remove or comment out logs function calls in CMS code
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict file upload validation and sanitization
- Apply network segmentation and restrict access to the CMS admin interface
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if running Gila CMS version 1.16.0 and test if PHP files can be uploaded to tmp directory and executed via logs function.Check Version:
Check CMS configuration files or admin panel for version information.Verify Fix Applied:
Test that PHP file uploads to tmp directory are blocked and cannot be executed through the logs function.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file uploads to tmp directory
- Access to logs function with suspicious parameters
- Execution of unexpected PHP files
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to tmp directory with PHP files
- Unusual outbound connections from web server
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (uri="/tmp/*.php" OR uri="*/logs*" AND method="POST")