CVE-2025-13544: Travel-agency RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-13544 Overview

A vulnerability has been identified in the ashraf-kabir travel-agency web application affecting the /customer_register.php file. This unrestricted file upload vulnerability allows remote attackers to upload arbitrary files to the server, potentially leading to remote code execution if malicious files such as web shells are uploaded and executed.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit the unrestricted file upload vulnerability to upload malicious files, potentially achieving code execution on the target server.

Affected Products

• ashraf-kabir travel-agency (up to commit 1f25aa03544bc5fb7a9e846f8a7879cecdb0cad3)

Discovery Timeline

• November 23, 2025 - CVE-2025-13544 published to NVD
• December 11, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13544

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability exists in the customer registration functionality of the travel-agency application. The /customer_register.php file fails to properly validate uploaded files, allowing attackers to bypass security controls and upload files with arbitrary content and extensions. This weakness falls under CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type) and CWE-284 (Improper Access Control).

The travel-agency project uses a rolling release model, meaning traditional version-based patching is not available. The vendor was contacted regarding this disclosure but did not respond, leaving users without an official fix.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the absence of proper file type validation and access control mechanisms in the file upload functionality within /customer_register.php. The application does not verify file extensions, MIME types, or file content before accepting uploads, allowing potentially dangerous file types to be stored on the server.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network. An attacker with low-level privileges can manipulate the file upload functionality in /customer_register.php to upload malicious files. The exploitation requires no user interaction, and the attack can be launched from any network location with access to the vulnerable endpoint.

The attacker would typically craft a request to the /customer_register.php endpoint containing a malicious file disguised as a legitimate upload. If the application stores uploaded files in a web-accessible directory without proper restrictions, the attacker can then execute the uploaded malicious code by accessing it directly via the web server.

Proof-of-concept details have been made publicly available. For technical details on the file upload vulnerability, see the GitHub File Upload Vulnerability documentation and the VulDB entry #333311.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13544

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected files with executable extensions (.php, .phtml, .asp, .aspx, .jsp) appearing in upload directories
• Web server access logs showing requests to /customer_register.php with multipart form data followed by requests to newly created files
• Presence of web shells or backdoor scripts in directories associated with customer registration uploads

Detection Strategies

• Monitor file system changes in upload directories for newly created executable files
• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block file upload attempts containing dangerous file types
• Review web server access logs for suspicious patterns involving /customer_register.php endpoint

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable file integrity monitoring on directories where uploaded files are stored
• Configure alerts for POST requests to /customer_register.php that include file attachments with suspicious extensions
• Implement real-time log analysis to detect potential exploitation attempts targeting the vulnerable endpoint

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13544

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the /customer_register.php endpoint until a fix is available
• Implement strict file type validation at the web server or WAF level
• Remove or disable the file upload functionality if not essential to operations
• Review upload directories for any suspicious files and remove unauthorized content

Patch Information

No official patch is currently available from the vendor. The ashraf-kabir travel-agency project uses rolling releases, and the vendor has not responded to disclosure attempts. Organizations using this software should implement the workarounds below and consider alternative solutions.

For additional context, refer to the VulDB submission #690975.

Workarounds

• Configure the web server to prevent execution of uploaded files by denying script execution in upload directories
• Implement server-side file type validation that checks both file extensions and MIME types
• Store uploaded files outside the web root directory to prevent direct access
• Use randomized filenames for uploaded files to prevent predictable access patterns

# Apache configuration to prevent script execution in upload directories
<Directory "/var/www/html/uploads">
    Options -ExecCGI -Indexes
    AllowOverride None
    
    # Deny access to potentially dangerous file types
    <FilesMatch "\.(php|phtml|php3|php4|php5|asp|aspx|jsp|cgi|pl)$">
        Require all denied
    </FilesMatch>
</Directory>