CVE-2024-7924: ZZCMS Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2024-7924 Overview

CVE-2024-7924 is a path traversal vulnerability [CWE-22] in ZZCMS 2023. The flaw resides in the /I/list.php script, where the skin parameter is processed without proper sanitization. An unauthenticated remote attacker can manipulate this parameter to traverse outside the intended directory and reference arbitrary files on the underlying host. The issue has been publicly disclosed, and exploitation details are available through third-party vulnerability databases. ZZCMS is a Chinese content management system used to build classified information and B2B portal sites, expanding the potential attack surface for internet-facing deployments.

Critical Impact

Remote, unauthenticated attackers can exploit the skin parameter in /I/list.php to read files outside the web root, exposing sensitive configuration and source code.

Affected Products

• ZZCMS 2023
• Component: /I/list.php
• Vulnerable parameter: skin

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-19 - CVE-2024-7924 published to NVD
• 2024-08-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7924

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as Path Traversal under [CWE-22]. The /I/list.php endpoint accepts a skin parameter from the HTTP request and uses its value to construct a file path without validating or normalizing the input. Attackers can supply traversal sequences such as ../ to escape the intended skin directory and reference arbitrary paths on the file system.

Because the endpoint is reachable over the network and requires no authentication or user interaction, exploitation is straightforward. According to the EPSS model, this issue scores in the 85th percentile for likelihood of exploitation activity, indicating elevated attacker interest relative to the broader CVE population.

Successful exploitation primarily affects confidentiality. Attackers can disclose application source code, configuration files containing database credentials, or operating system files that aid further intrusion. The disclosed information can serve as a stepping stone toward authenticated attacks against the application's administrative interface.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation on the skin request parameter. The application concatenates user-controlled data into a file path used by a PHP file inclusion or template loading routine. Without canonicalization or an allow-list of permitted skin names, traversal sequences are interpreted by the underlying file system.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and unauthenticated. An attacker issues an HTTP request to /I/list.php with a crafted skin parameter containing directory traversal sequences. The web server processes the manipulated path and returns the contents of the targeted file, or includes it in execution context, depending on how the parameter is used downstream. Public technical analysis of the issue is available in the Gitee Directory Traversal Analysis and VulDB entry #275110.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7924

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /I/list.php containing ../ or URL-encoded variants such as %2e%2e%2f in the skin parameter
• Web server access logs showing references to sensitive paths like /etc/passwd, inc/config.php, or other non-skin files via the skin parameter
• Unexpected file read activity by the PHP worker process targeting paths outside the ZZCMS skin directory

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall rules that block traversal patterns in query string parameters, with focused inspection on the skin parameter for /I/list.php
• Implement server-side logging of all parameter values submitted to list.php and alert on values containing traversal characters or absolute paths
• Correlate web access logs with file system audit logs to detect anomalous reads from the php-fpm or httpd process

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward web server, PHP, and file integrity logs to a centralized analytics platform for retention and correlation
• Establish baselines for parameter values on classified-listing endpoints and alert on deviations
• Monitor outbound traffic from the web server for exfiltration following suspicious traversal requests

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7924

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict external access to /I/list.php at the reverse proxy or WAF tier until a vendor patch is applied
• Implement input validation that rejects any skin value containing path separators, dot sequences, or null bytes
• Rotate any credentials stored in configuration files that may have been exposed through traversal
• Audit web server logs from August 2024 onward for exploitation attempts and confirm no unauthorized file reads occurred

Patch Information

No official vendor advisory or patch URL is referenced in the NVD entry at the time of publication. Administrators should monitor the ZZCMS project for an updated release addressing the skin parameter handling in /I/list.php. Until a fix is published, treat the application as exposed and apply compensating controls.

Workarounds

• Modify /I/list.php to validate skin against a hard-coded allow-list of permitted skin directory names
• Run PHP with open_basedir configured to restrict file access to the application root, preventing traversal beyond ZZCMS files
• Apply principle of least privilege to the web server user so configuration files and system paths are not world-readable
• Place the application behind a WAF with rules tuned to block path traversal patterns on all parameters

# Example php.ini hardening to limit traversal impact
open_basedir = "/var/www/zzcms/:/tmp/"
allow_url_include = Off
allow_url_fopen = Off