CVE-2023-43154
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication in Macrob7 Macs Framework CMS 1.1.4f by exploiting PHP type confusion in the login validation function. Attackers can gain administrator access without valid credentials. All systems running the vulnerable version are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Macrob7 Macs Framework Content Management System
📦 What is this software?
Macs Cms by Macs Cms Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the CMS with administrator account takeover, allowing data theft, defacement, malware deployment, and lateral movement to connected systems.
Likely Case
Unauthorized administrator access leading to content manipulation, user data exposure, and potential privilege escalation within the CMS environment.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, strong authentication controls, and regular monitoring detecting unauthorized access attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public exploit code available on GitHub; exploitation requires no authentication and minimal technical skill.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: None found
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Check for vendor updates or patches. 2. If unavailable, apply workarounds. 3. Consider migrating to alternative CMS if vendor support is lacking.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Modify isValidLogin() function
allReplace loose comparison (==) with strict comparison (===) in the login validation function to prevent type confusion.
Edit the affected PHP file containing the isValidLogin() function and change comparison operators from '==' to '==='
Implement additional authentication layer
allAdd IP whitelisting or two-factor authentication for admin access to mitigate bypass attempts.
Configure web server or application firewall to restrict admin panel access to trusted IPs only
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate the CMS system from critical networks and implement strict network segmentation
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block authentication bypass attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check CMS version in admin panel or configuration files; if version is 1.1.4f, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check CMS configuration files or admin dashboard for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Test login functionality with invalid credentials; successful login indicates vulnerability still exists.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful admin login from unusual IPs
- Admin panel access from non-standard user accounts
Network Indicators:
- Unusual HTTP POST requests to login endpoints with crafted parameters
- Traffic patterns showing admin access from unexpected locations
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (uri_path="/admin/login" OR uri_path="/login") AND (status=200 OR status=302) AND user_agent NOT IN expected_admin_agents