CVE-2024-7899: InnoCMS Backend Code Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2024-7899 Overview

CVE-2024-7899 is a code injection vulnerability in InnoCMS 0.3.1. The flaw resides in the backend component, specifically in the handling of the /panel/pages/1/edit endpoint. Authenticated attackers can manipulate input to inject and execute arbitrary code within the application context. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network and has been publicly disclosed. According to the disclosure notes, the vendor was contacted about the issue but did not respond. The weakness is categorized as CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code.

Critical Impact
Remote authenticated attackers can inject code through the InnoCMS admin panel page editor, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the CMS backend.

Affected Products

InnoCMS 0.3.1
Backend component (/panel/pages/1/edit)
Deployments using CPE cpe:2.3:a:innocms:innocms:0.3.1

Discovery Timeline

2024-08-17 - CVE-2024-7899 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7899

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a code injection flaw (CWE-94) in the administrative panel of InnoCMS 0.3.1. Processing performed by the page editor at /panel/pages/1/edit fails to properly neutralize input used in dynamic code generation. As a result, an attacker with backend access can supply crafted content that the application interprets and executes as code. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected component, though impact is limited to the CMS scope.

The issue requires high privileges, meaning the attacker must already hold an administrative or equivalent role in the backend. No user interaction is required to trigger the flaw once the malicious payload is submitted through the edit endpoint. The Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) places the probability of exploitation activity at 0.712%.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper control over how user-supplied input on the page edit endpoint is incorporated into code executed by the backend. Input passed through the /panel/pages/1/edit handler is not adequately sanitized or restricted before being processed in a context that allows arbitrary code execution. See the technical write-up on GitHub for reproduction details.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs over the network against the CMS admin interface. The attacker authenticates with a high-privilege backend account, then submits a crafted request to the vulnerable edit endpoint. The malicious payload is stored or evaluated by the backend, leading to code execution within the application. Because the exploit has been publicly disclosed, opportunistic use against exposed InnoCMS 0.3.1 deployments is plausible.

No verified proof-of-concept code is republished here. Refer to the VulDB entry #274907 and the GitHub advisory for reproduction details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7899

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected POST or PUT requests to /panel/pages/1/edit or similar /panel/pages/{id}/edit paths containing script tags, PHP tags, or template expressions.
New or modified CMS page records that contain executable code fragments rather than standard content markup.
Outbound network connections initiated by the InnoCMS process to unfamiliar hosts following admin panel activity.
Creation of unexpected files under the InnoCMS installation directory after backend edit operations.

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for authenticated requests to /panel/pages/*/edit correlated with unusual response sizes or elevated error rates.
Deploy web application firewall rules that flag code-like payloads (e.g., <?php, system(, eval() submitted to CMS edit endpoints.
Monitor the underlying host for process spawning by the PHP or web server user following admin panel requests.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose audit logging on all /panel/* administrative routes and forward logs to a centralized SIEM.
Baseline normal admin editor payload sizes and content patterns, then alert on statistical outliers.
Track authentication events for backend accounts and alert on logins from new geographies or after-hours activity.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7899

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the InnoCMS admin panel using IP allow-listing, VPN, or reverse proxy authentication.
Rotate credentials for all high-privilege backend accounts and enforce multi-factor authentication where supported.
Audit existing CMS pages for injected code or unexpected content authored recently.
Consider taking InnoCMS 0.3.1 instances offline until a vendor patch is available, given the vendor's lack of response.

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no vendor patch has been released. The disclosure record notes that the vendor was contacted but did not respond. Track the VulDB entry #274907 and the upstream InnoCMS repository for updates. Organizations should evaluate migrating to a maintained CMS if no fix is forthcoming.

Workarounds

Place the InnoCMS admin panel behind a reverse proxy that enforces authentication and payload inspection.
Apply web application firewall rules blocking code-injection patterns on /panel/pages/*/edit endpoints.
Reduce the number of accounts with high-privilege backend access to the minimum required.
Run the InnoCMS process under a least-privileged system account with restricted filesystem and network permissions.

bash

# Example nginx configuration to restrict admin panel access by IP
location /panel/ {
    allow 10.0.0.0/8;      # internal admin subnet
    deny  all;
    proxy_pass http://innocms_backend;
}