Laravel End-of-Life Detection Scanner

Laravel is a popular PHP framework used by web developers to build applications following the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architectural pattern. It is known for its elegant syntax, robust features, and efficient development process, often utilized for developing web-based applications and APIs. Companies ranging from startups to large enterprises use Laravel for its flexibility and scalability. The framework is supported by a large community of developers who contribute to its ongoing improvement and feature set. Laravel is ideal for developing secure, scalable, and maintainable applications. Its comprehensive toolkit allows developers to focus on making modern web applications quickly and efficiently.

This scanner detects the use of Laravel framework versions in digital assets that have reached End-of-Life (EOL). End-of-Life versions are no longer supported and do not receive security updates, making them susceptible to vulnerabilities. Identifying these versions helps organizations mitigate potential security risks associated with using outdated software. The scanner analyzes HTTP responses to detect version information and checks against known EOL data. The purpose is to help system administrators take appropriate actions to update or replace unsupported versions. Detecting these versions allows for proactive security measures by ensuring software within an infrastructure is up-to-date and secure.

The detection process involves sending HTTP GET requests to potential targets, querying specific endpoints like 'composer.json' or 'composer.lock', which may contain version information. The scanner examines HTTP headers for the presence of version identifiers such as "x-laravel-version" or other Laravel-related headers. It uses regular expressions to extract version numbers and determines if they fall under the EOL criteria by comparing listed versions. By checking both headers and response bodies, the scanner provides a comprehensive assessment of the Laravel versions running on a server. This approach enables efficient identification of unsupported Laravel installations across multiple assets.

Exploiting outdated Laravel versions may allow attackers to leverage known vulnerabilities, leading to unauthorized access, data breaches, or system compromise. Unsupported software lacks the necessary patches to fix security flaws, leaving systems open to exploitation. Attackers might use automated tools to scan for vulnerable frameworks and exploit them before organizations can respond. The consequences of running an outdated version can range from minor data leaks to severe operational disruptions or loss of customer trust. It's critical to update to supported versions to prevent security incidents. Ensuring the software is current safeguards against potential attacks exploiting known vulnerabilities.

REFERENCES

• https://endoflife.date/laravel
• https://laravel.com/docs/releases