CVE-2023-53868
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-53868 is a remote code execution vulnerability in Coppermine Gallery that allows authenticated attackers to upload malicious PHP files through the plugin manager. This enables execution of arbitrary system commands on the server. All Coppermine Gallery installations version 1.6.25 and earlier are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Coppermine Gallery
📦 What is this software?
Coppermine Photo Gallery by Coppermine Gallery
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete server compromise allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands, steal data, install backdoors, pivot to other systems, and maintain persistent access.
Likely Case
Attackers gain shell access to the web server, deface websites, install cryptocurrency miners, or exfiltrate sensitive data from the database.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper file upload restrictions and authentication controls are in place, though authenticated users could still exploit the vulnerability.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit requires authenticated access but is trivial to execute once authentication is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.6.26 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://web.archive.org/web/20240101151648/https://coppermine-gallery.net/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your Coppermine Gallery installation and database. 2. Download the latest version from the official website. 3. Replace all files with the new version, preserving your configuration files. 4. Verify the installation works correctly.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin Uploads
linuxRemove or restrict access to plugin upload functionality
chmod 000 plugins/
chown root:root plugins/
Restrict File Upload Types
allConfigure web server to block PHP file uploads to plugin directory
Add to .htaccess: <FilesMatch "\.(php|php5|php7|phtml)$">
Order Allow,Deny
Deny from all
</FilesMatch>
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to the plugin manager to trusted administrators only
- Implement web application firewall rules to block suspicious file upload patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if Coppermine Gallery version is 1.6.25 or earlier by examining the version.php file or admin panelCheck Version:
grep -i 'version' include/version.phpVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 1.6.26 or later and test that plugin upload functionality properly validates file types📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file uploads to plugin directory
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful login and plugin upload
- Execution of system commands via PHP files in plugin directory
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to plugin upload endpoints with zip files
- Outbound connections from web server to suspicious IPs after plugin upload
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (uri_path="/pluginmgr.php" OR uri_path="/plugins/") AND (method="POST" OR file_extension="zip")