CVE-2024-37089: Consulting Elementor Widgets Path Traversal

CVE-2024-37089 Overview

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in StylemixThemes Consulting Elementor Widgets allows PHP Local File Inclusion. This issue affects Consulting Elementor Widgets: from N/A through 1.3.0.

Critical Impact
This vulnerability allows unauthorized attackers to include and execute files from local paths, potentially leading to remote code execution and full server compromise.

Affected Products

StylemixThemes Consulting Elementor Widgets

Discovery Timeline

2024-06-24 - CVE CVE-2024-37089 published to NVD
2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-37089

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from improper validation of file paths, which can be manipulated via path traversal patterns to access arbitrary files on the server. This loophole allows PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI), where an attacker might execute unintended scripts stored on the server by constructing specific payloads.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of secure input validation mechanisms for pathnames, which permits traversal outside the intended directory scope.

Attack Vector

Network-based attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely by submitting a crafted request containing path traversal sequences.

php

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
$path = $_GET['file'];
include("/var/www/" . $path);

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-37089

Indicators of Compromise

Unfamiliar modifications to files or scripts
Sudden increase in network requests to /var/www/ paths
Logged requests containing ../ traversal patterns

Detection Strategies

Implement and monitor web application firewalls (WAF) for identifying suspicious URL patterns indicative of path traversal.

Monitoring Recommendations

Regularly audit web server logs for path traversal patterns and monitor for unexpected file inclusions or manipulations.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-37089

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict direct access to server file paths
Validate and sanitize all user inputs to eliminate harmful patterns
Deploy a WAF to intercept malicious requests

Patch Information

Ensure all deployments are updated to patched versions as soon as StylemixThemes provides an official fix.

Workarounds

Modify application code to enforce strict input validation and utilize realpath functions to resolve and confirm valid paths.

bash

# Configuration example
sanitize_input() {
  # Strip harmful patterns
  echo "$1" | sed 's/\.\.\///g'
}

# Usage
safe_file=$(sanitize_input "${file}")