CVE-2023-0265
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-0265 is a remote code execution vulnerability in Uvdesk that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the server by uploading malicious profile pictures. This affects Uvdesk version 1.1.1 and potentially earlier versions. Attackers need customer-level authentication to exploit this vulnerability.
💻 Affected Systems
- Uvdesk Community Skeleton
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full server compromise allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands, steal data, install malware, pivot to other systems, and maintain persistent access.
Likely Case
Attackers gain shell access to the web server, allowing them to read sensitive files, modify application data, and potentially escalate privileges.
If Mitigated
With proper file upload validation and server hardening, exploitation would be prevented or limited to the web server user context.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access as a customer. The vulnerability is in file upload validation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Uvdesk GitHub repository for latest version
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/uvdesk/community-skeleton
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Uvdesk to the latest version from the official GitHub repository. 2. Restart the web server and application services. 3. Verify the fix by testing file upload functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable customer profile picture uploads
allTemporarily disable the profile picture upload functionality for customers until patching is complete.
Modify Uvdesk configuration to remove profile picture upload options
Implement strict file upload validation
allAdd server-side validation to restrict uploaded files to specific extensions and scan for malicious content.
Implement file type validation in upload handlers
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block malicious file uploads
- Restrict file upload permissions and run web server with minimal privileges
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if running Uvdesk version 1.1.1 or earlier. Test if profile picture upload accepts executable files.Check Version:
Check Uvdesk version in application configuration or admin panelVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, test that profile picture uploads properly validate file types and reject executable files.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file uploads to profile picture endpoints
- Execution of unexpected system commands from web server process
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to upload endpoints with suspicious file extensions
- Outbound connections from web server to unexpected destinations
SIEM Query:
source="web_server" AND (url_path="/profile/upload" OR url_path="*upload*") AND (file_extension="php" OR file_extension="exe" OR file_extension="sh")