Overview
CVE-2025-13574 describes a medium severity vulnerability discovered in code-projects Online Bidding System version 1.0. This vulnerability allows for unrestricted file uploads due to improper input validation in the categoryadd function of the /administrator/addcategory.php file. An attacker can leverage this flaw to upload arbitrary files, potentially leading to remote code execution, data breaches, or defacement of the affected system. The exploit is publicly available, making it crucial to apply mitigations immediately.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the categoryadd function responsible for adding new categories within the administrative panel. The catimage argument, intended to handle the category image, lacks adequate validation and sanitization. This allows an attacker to upload files with malicious extensions (e.g., .php, .jsp, .asp) directly to the server. The lack of extension whitelisting and proper file type verification enables the bypass.
Specifically, an attacker can craft a malicious request to /administrator/addcategory.php containing a payload within the catimage parameter. The server then, without proper checks, saves the uploaded file, making it accessible and potentially executable.
CVSS Analysis
The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 4.7, indicating a MEDIUM severity. Here’s a breakdown:
- CVSS Score: 4.7
- Vector: AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
- Explanation: The vulnerability is network accessible (AV:N) but requires high attack complexity (AC:H) due to the potential need for specific knowledge of the system’s configuration. Privileges are required (PR:H), suggesting that administrative access is necessary for exploitation in a default configuration. User interaction is not required (UI:N). The impact is limited to low confidentiality (C:L) and integrity (I:L) impact, with no availability impact (A:N). Successful exploitation can lead to limited information disclosure and modification of data.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-13574 can have several detrimental consequences:
- Remote Code Execution (RCE): By uploading and executing malicious scripts, attackers could gain complete control of the server.
- Data Breach: Access to sensitive data stored on the server could be compromised.
- Website Defacement: The website’s appearance could be altered, damaging the organization’s reputation.
- Malware Distribution: The compromised server could be used to host and distribute malware to website visitors.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-13574, the following steps are recommended:
- Apply the Patch: The most effective solution is to apply the official patch provided by code-projects (if available). Check the code-projects website for updates.
- Input Validation: Implement strict input validation on the
catimageparameter. Sanitize user input to prevent malicious code injection. - File Type Verification: Implement robust file type verification. Use a whitelist approach, only allowing specific image file extensions (e.g., .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif). Verify the file’s magic bytes to ensure that the file type matches the extension.
- Secure File Storage: Store uploaded files outside of the webroot to prevent direct access and execution.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a WAF with rules to detect and block malicious file upload attempts.
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits to identify and address vulnerabilities promptly.
