The MetInfo system is a widely utilized content management platform used predominantly by small businesses and individual website owners for creating multilingual websites. Deployed in various industry sectors, it enables users to manage content efficiently and has features for eCommerce, SEO, and responsive design. Known for its ease of use, MetInfo allows non-technical users to build and maintain websites with minimal effort. Administrators and developers often rely on its functionality to extend website capabilities through available modules and plugins. The community-driven development encourages the creation of a rich ecosystem for expanding website functionalities. With a solid user base, MetInfo continues to be a popular choice for website content management.
Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerabilities are significant security lapses where an attacker is able to manipulate path filenames to expose internal file contents on a web server. In this scenario, the vulnerability permits unauthorized reading of sensitive files on the server, such as configuration files or application source codes. These attacks exploit improper input validations in the file inclusion mechanisms, which do not adequately sanitize user inputs referencing file paths. Attackers may leverage this flaw to gain unwarranted access to confidential server information. The vulnerability is common in web applications with weak security measures on their input validations. It is crucial to mitigate such vulnerabilities to prevent potential data breaches.
The LFI vulnerability in MetInfo versions 6.0.0 through 6.1.0 results from improper sanitization of inputs in the file inclusion function of the system. Specifically, the end point vulnerable to this flaw is the 'thumb.php' script that inadequately filters the inputs from the 'dir' parameter. By cleverly crafting a request with sequences like '.....///', attackers could break out of intended directories and gain access to sensitive configuration files such as 'config_db.php'. This flaw allows unauthenticated remote access to read these critical files without proper authorization. The combinations and patterns of slashes in URL requests effectively bypass the directory restrictions, leading to exposure of secure data.
When exploited, the LFI vulnerability can result in various serious consequences, including unauthorized exposure of internal system files which may reveal sensitive database credentials or configuration settings. The access gained through LFI can facilitate further malicious actions such as privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or introduction of malicious scripts into the application environment. If critical files such as configuration scripts are disclosed, it may worsen security contexts, allowing attackers control over databases or other integral components. Consequently, this increases the risk of data breaches and potential leakage of personal and sensitive information to unauthorized entities.
REFERENCES
- Ensure all incoming user inputs are strictly validated and sanitized to prevent the inclusion of malicious file path sequences.
- Configure the web server to restrict access to sensitive directories that should not be publicly accessible.
- Consider using built-in PHP functions to enforce strict validation and filtering of file paths.
- Regularly update to newer versions of MetInfo where such vulnerabilities are patched.
- Employ intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious activities involving file inclusions.
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