CVE-2026-30994: Slah Information Disclosure Vulnerability

CVE-2026-30994 Overview

CVE-2026-30994 is a sensitive data exposure vulnerability caused by incorrect access control in the config.php component of Slah v1.5.0 and below. This security flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to access sensitive information remotely, including active session credentials, without requiring any user interaction or prior authentication.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can access sensitive configuration data and active session credentials, potentially leading to full account compromise and unauthorized system access.

Affected Products

• Slah v1.5.0
• Slah versions below v1.5.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-15 - CVE-2026-30994 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-30994

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper access control implementation in Slah's config.php component. The affected file fails to implement proper authentication checks, allowing any remote attacker to directly access the configuration endpoint without credentials. Once accessed, the component exposes sensitive application data including active session credentials that could be leveraged for session hijacking attacks.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control), indicating that the application does not properly restrict access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. The network-accessible nature of this flaw combined with no authentication requirements makes it particularly dangerous for internet-facing Slah installations.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-30994 is the absence of proper authentication and authorization checks in the config.php file. The component appears to be directly accessible via HTTP requests without validating whether the requesting user has appropriate permissions to view configuration data. This is a fundamental access control failure where sensitive administrative functionality is exposed without adequate protection mechanisms.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no privileges, no user interaction, and low complexity to exploit. An attacker can simply send an HTTP request to the config.php endpoint on a vulnerable Slah installation to retrieve sensitive configuration data. The exposed session credentials can then be used to hijack active user sessions, potentially gaining unauthorized access to user accounts or administrative functions.

The exploitation flow involves:

1. Identifying a vulnerable Slah installation (v1.5.0 or below)
2. Sending an unauthenticated HTTP request to the config.php endpoint
3. Extracting sensitive information including session credentials from the response
4. Using obtained session tokens to impersonate legitimate users

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-30994

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected HTTP requests to /config.php or similar configuration endpoints from external IP addresses
• Unusual access patterns showing repeated requests to configuration files without prior authentication
• Session hijacking attempts where session tokens are used from IP addresses different from the original session creator
• Web server logs showing direct access attempts to config.php without referrer headers from legitimate application flows

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web server access logs for direct requests to config.php from unauthenticated sources
• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting configuration files
• Deploy intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures to identify exploitation attempts against this specific vulnerability
• Audit authentication logs for session reuse from multiple IP addresses indicating potential session hijacking

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on the web server to capture all requests to sensitive PHP files
• Configure alerting for any access to configuration endpoints from external networks
• Implement real-time monitoring for session anomalies such as geographic impossibilities or rapid IP changes
• Review logs regularly for patterns consistent with reconnaissance or exploitation activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-30994

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all Slah installations in your environment and verify their version numbers
• Restrict network access to vulnerable Slah instances using firewall rules or access control lists
• Implement additional authentication layers such as HTTP Basic Authentication or IP whitelisting for sensitive endpoints
• Rotate all session tokens and credentials that may have been exposed through this vulnerability
• Monitor for any signs of unauthorized access or session hijacking attempts

Patch Information

Organizations should check for updated versions of Slah that address this access control vulnerability. For detailed technical information and remediation guidance, refer to the CVE-2026-30994 security advisory and the Slah Informatica Sensitive Data Exposure report.

Workarounds

• Block direct access to config.php at the web server level using .htaccess rules or nginx location blocks
• Place configuration files outside the web-accessible directory structure
• Implement server-side access controls requiring authentication before any configuration data can be accessed
• Use a reverse proxy to filter requests to sensitive endpoints
• Consider temporarily taking vulnerable installations offline until a proper fix can be applied

# Apache .htaccess workaround to block direct access to config.php
<Files "config.php">
    Order Allow,Deny
    Deny from all
</Files>

# Nginx location block workaround
location ~ /config\.php$ {
    deny all;
    return 403;
}