CVE-2023-53962
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-53962 is an unauthenticated directory traversal vulnerability in SOUND4 IMPACT/FIRST/PULSE/Eco v2.x that allows remote attackers to write arbitrary files to unintended system locations via crafted POST requests to upload.cgi. This affects all systems running vulnerable versions of these SOUND4 products without proper network segmentation.
💻 Affected Systems
- SOUND4 IMPACT
- SOUND4 FIRST
- SOUND4 PULSE
- SOUND4 Eco
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise through arbitrary file write leading to remote code execution, system takeover, or data destruction.
Likely Case
Unauthorized file writes to web directories enabling web shell deployment, data exfiltration, or service disruption.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if network access controls prevent external exploitation and file system permissions restrict damage.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit code is publicly available on Exploit-DB (ID 51172), making exploitation straightforward for attackers.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: https://web.archive.org/web/20221207074555/https://www.sound4.com/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Check vendor website for updates or consider workarounds.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Control
allRestrict network access to affected systems using firewalls or network segmentation.
Web Application Firewall
allDeploy WAF rules to block directory traversal sequences in POST requests to upload.cgi.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected systems in separate network segments with strict firewall rules
- Monitor for suspicious file write activities and unauthorized access attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if system runs SOUND4 IMPACT/FIRST/PULSE/Eco v2.x and has upload.cgi accessible. Test with controlled directory traversal payloads.Check Version:
Check product documentation or web interface for version information (no standard command available).Verify Fix Applied:
Verify upload.cgi endpoint no longer accepts directory traversal sequences in upgfile parameter.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to upload.cgi with ../ sequences in parameters
- Unexpected file writes in system directories
Network Indicators:
- POST requests to /upload.cgi containing directory traversal patterns
- Unusual file upload traffic to affected systems
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri="/upload.cgi" AND (method="POST" AND (param="upgfile" AND value="*../*"))🔗 References
- https://web.archive.org/web/20221207074555/https://www.sound4.com/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/51172
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/sound-impactfirstpulseeco-x-unauthenticated-directory-traversal-file-write
- https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2022-5730.php
- https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2022-5730.php
