CVE-2019-25709: CF Image Hosting Information Disclosure

CVE-2019-25709 Overview

CVE-2019-25709 is a critical vulnerability affecting CF Image Hosting Script version 1.6.5 that allows unauthenticated attackers to download and decode the application database. By directly accessing the imgdb.db file located in the upload/data directory, attackers can extract sensitive information including delete IDs stored in plaintext. These delete IDs can then be weaponized to delete all hosted images through the d parameter, resulting in complete data loss.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can access the application database, extract delete IDs, and delete all hosted images without any authentication or authorization checks.

Affected Products

• CF Image Hosting Script version 1.6.5

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-12 - CVE CVE-2019-25709 published to NVD
• 2026-04-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25709

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties), representing a severe access control failure in the CF Image Hosting Script. The application stores its database file (imgdb.db) in a publicly accessible directory without implementing proper access restrictions.

The vulnerability chain consists of two distinct attack phases. First, an attacker can retrieve the serialized database file by making a direct HTTP request to the predictable path upload/data/imgdb.db. The web server serves this file without any authentication checks, allowing complete database extraction. Second, once the database is obtained, the attacker can deserialize the data to extract delete IDs that are stored in plaintext format. These IDs serve as the sole authorization mechanism for image deletion operations.

The lack of authentication on both the database file access and the delete functionality creates a devastating attack chain. An attacker requires no credentials or special access to perform these operations—simply knowledge of the vulnerable endpoint paths is sufficient.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper file system access controls combined with insecure application design. The application fails to restrict access to sensitive database files through web server configuration or application-level access controls. Additionally, storing delete authorization tokens in plaintext within an accessible database file represents a fundamental security design flaw. The delete functionality relies solely on possession of the delete ID without any session-based or user-based authentication validation.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-accessible and requires no user interaction or privileges. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely by:

1. Sending an HTTP GET request to http://[target]/upload/data/imgdb.db to download the database file
2. Deserializing the database contents locally to extract delete IDs
3. Iterating through extracted delete IDs and sending requests to the delete endpoint using the d parameter
4. Achieving mass deletion of all hosted images on the platform

The attack can be fully automated and executed against any publicly accessible CF Image Hosting Script installation running the vulnerable version. Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available through the Exploit-DB #46094 entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25709

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP access logs showing direct requests to /upload/data/imgdb.db from external sources
• Unusual spike in requests to the delete endpoint with the d parameter
• Mass deletion of images in a short timeframe without corresponding user activity
• Web server access logs showing sequential or bulk delete operations

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web server access logs for requests targeting the imgdb.db file path
• Implement alerting on HTTP 200 responses for requests to sensitive data directories
• Track delete operations and alert on unusual patterns or bulk deletions
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to block direct access to database files

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure SentinelOne to monitor file access patterns on database files within the upload directory
• Enable detailed logging for all HTTP requests to the upload/data/ directory path
• Implement anomaly detection for image deletion rates compared to baseline activity
• Review server logs periodically for signs of database file exfiltration attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25709

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict web server access to the upload/data/ directory using server configuration
• Move the imgdb.db file outside of the web-accessible document root
• Implement authentication requirements for all delete operations
• Review and audit any recent unauthorized deletions by checking server logs

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified in the available CVE data. Organizations should consult the CodeFuture Forum Thread for potential community-provided fixes or consider migrating to a more actively maintained image hosting solution. Additional advisory information is available from the VulnCheck Advisory.

Workarounds

• Add .htaccess rules (Apache) or location blocks (Nginx) to deny direct access to .db files
• Relocate the database file outside the web root and update application configuration accordingly
• Implement IP-based access restrictions to administrative and sensitive file paths
• Consider placing the application behind a reverse proxy with enhanced access controls

# Apache .htaccess configuration to block database file access
<FilesMatch "\.db$">
    Order allow,deny
    Deny from all
</FilesMatch>

# Nginx configuration to deny database file access
location ~* \.db$ {
    deny all;
    return 403;
}