In December 2022, a critical security vulnerability—CVE-2022-4232—was discovered in the SourceCodester Event Registration System 1.. This flaw lets attackers upload arbitrary files to the server, which might result in remote code execution. In this deep-dive, we will explain the vulnerability, show how it works with code snippets, point to original resources, and discuss how to stay safe.

What is SourceCodester Event Registration System?

SourceCodester Event Registration System is a lightweight, PHP/MySQL-based open-source web application used for managing event registrations. It’s widely circulated on free source code forums and often used for small-business or school projects.

The Vulnerability: CVE-2022-4232

- ID: CVE-2022-4232 (VDB-214590)

Description

A flaw exists in how the application handles file uploads in at least one of its functionalities (often, these systems have poorly controlled file uploaders for profile images, documents, etc.). Specifically, the cmd argument to an unknown function is not sanitized. This lets attackers upload files of any type—including PHP scripts—that could be executed by the server.

According to the vuldb advisory

> A vulnerability has been found in SourceCodester Event Registration System 1. and classified as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality. Manipulating the argument cmd with an unknown input leads to a unrestricted upload vulnerability. The exploitation appears to be easy and does not require authentication.

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3. Upload the malicious file using a crafted HTTP POST request where the cmd argument triggers the vulnerable code path.

Exploit Proof-of-Concept (PoC)

Below is a sample cURL command for uploading a webshell (a PHP file) to a presumed vulnerable uploader. (You’ll need to adjust URL and field names to match the actual target.)

curl -F "cmd=upload" -F "file=@evil.php" http://target.com/path/to/uploader.php

Suppose the upload path is /uploads/evil.php, then you visit

http://target.com/uploads/evil.php?cmd=whoami

This entry would execute the whoami command on the server and display its output.

References

- VulDB advisory (VDB-214590)
- Exploit-DB (possible exploit reference, check for latest)
- SourceCodester Event Registration System Release

Here’s an example PHP snippet for safer upload handling

$allowed = ['image/jpeg', 'image/png'];
if(in_array($_FILES['file']['type'], $allowed)) {
    move_uploaded_file($_FILES['file']['tmp_name'], '/safe_uploads/' . basename($_FILES['file']['name']));
} else {
    echo "Invalid file type!";
}

Conclusion

CVE-2022-4232 is a severe, remotely exploitable flaw in the SourceCodester Event Registration System 1. that allows for unrestricted file uploads—potentially letting attackers take full control of your server. If you’re running this system, you should patch or disable it immediately and review your general web server upload security.

For the latest updates, keep an eye on

- CVE Details for CVE-2022-4232
- VulDB VDB-214590

Timeline

Published on: 11/30/2022 12:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 12/01/2022 23:38:00 UTC