CVE-2023-38874
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on Economizzer servers by uploading malicious PHP files as attachments. Attackers can gain full control of affected systems. All users running vulnerable versions of Economizzer are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Economizzer
📦 What is this software?
Economizzer by Economizzer
Economizzer by Economizzer
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or use as a foothold for lateral movement in the network.
Likely Case
Web shell installation allowing persistent access, data exfiltration, and further exploitation of the server and connected systems.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper file upload restrictions and web application firewalls blocking malicious uploads.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access to upload files, but the attack is straightforward once authenticated.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: Not available
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Consider upgrading to a newer version if available or implementing workarounds.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict PHP file uploads
allConfigure web server or application to block uploads of .php files and other executable extensions
# In Apache .htaccess:
<FilesMatch "\.(php|php3|php4|php5|phtml|pl|cgi|exe|dll|bat|cmd|com|vbs|js|reg)">
Deny from all
</FilesMatch>
# In Nginx config:
location ~ \.(php|php3|php4|php5|phtml|pl|cgi|exe|dll|bat|cmd|com|vbs|js|reg)$ {
deny all;
}
Implement file type validation
allAdd server-side validation to check file MIME types and extensions before allowing uploads
# Example PHP validation:
$allowed_types = ['image/jpeg', 'image/png', 'application/pdf'];
$file_type = mime_content_type($_FILES['file']['tmp_name']);
if (!in_array($file_type, $allowed_types)) {
die('Invalid file type');
}
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable file upload functionality in Economizzer configuration
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block malicious file uploads
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Economizzer version in admin panel or by examining source code. Version v.0.9-beta1 or commit 3730880 indicates vulnerability.Check Version:
# Check Economizzer version in admin panel or config filesVerify Fix Applied:
Test file upload functionality with PHP files. If upload is blocked or files are not executable, the fix is working.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file uploads with .php extensions
- Multiple failed upload attempts
- Access to uploaded files with suspicious names
Network Indicators:
- POST requests to upload endpoints with PHP file content
- Subsequent requests to uploaded PHP files
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (uri="*upload*" AND file_extension="php") OR (uri="*.php" AND referer="*upload*")