CVE-2021-23394: Studio 42/elfinder Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2021-23394 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type) affecting Studio 42/elfinder libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves elfinder unsafe upload filtering leading to remote code execution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.58.
CVE-2021-23394 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 8.1
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
How to Fix CVE-2021-23394
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Studio 42/elfinder dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
Upgrade studio-42/elfinder to 2.1.58
Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
inspect dependencies for studio-42/elfinder
How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-23394, inspect your project dependencies for Studio 42/elfinder:
inspect dependencies for studio-42/elfinder
Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Studio 42/elfinder in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.1.58), your application is affected.
Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type, where the product allows the upload or transfer of dangerous file types that are automatically processed within its environment. In Studio 42/elfinder, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.
Source Advisory Statement
CVE-2021-23394 Affected Studio 42/elfinder Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
studio-42/elfinder
|
Packagist |
< 2.1.58
|
2.1.58
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-23394?
Which Studio 42/elfinder versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2021-23394?
Is studio-42/elfinder affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-23394?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-23394?
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2021-23394?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-qm58-cvvm-c5qr",
"modified" : "2022-08-11T00:02:52Z",
"published" : "2021-06-15T15:51:02Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-23394" ],
"summary" : "elFinder unsafe upload filtering leading to remote code execution",
"details" : "### Impact\n\nBefore elFinder 2.1.58, the upload filter did not disallow the upload of `.phar` files. As several Linux distributions are now shipping Apache configured in a way it will process these files as PHP scripts, attackers could gain arbitrary code execution on the server hosting the PHP connector (even in minimal configuration).\n\n### Patches\n\nThe issue has been addressed with https://github.com/Studio-42/elFinder/commit/75ea92decc16a5daf7f618f85dc621d1b534b5e1, associating `.phar` files to the right MIME type. Unless explicitly allowed in the configuration, such files cannot be uploaded anymore. This patch is part of the last release of elFinder, 2.1.58.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nIf you can't update to 2.1.58, make sure your connector is not exposed without authentication.\n\n### Important tips\n\nServer-side scripts can often be created as text files. Currently, elFinder has an appropriate MIME type set for file extensions that are generally runnable on a web server.\n\nHowever, the server has various settings. In some cases, the executable file may be judged as \"text/plain\". Therefore, elFinder installers should understand the extensions that can be executed on the web server where elFinder is installed, and check if there are any missing items in the elFinder settings.\n\nThe elFinder PHP connector has an option \"additionalMimeMap\" that specifies the MIME type for each extension. See [#3295(comment)](https://github.com/Studio-42/elFinder/issues/3295#issuecomment-853042139) for more information.\n\n### References\n\n- https://snyk.io/vuln/composer:studio-42%2Felfinder\n- https://github.com/Studio-42/elFinder/issues/3295\n- Further technical details will be disclosed on https://blog.sonarsource.com/tag/security after some time.\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory, you can contact:\n- The original reporters, by sending an email to support [at] snyk.io or vulnerability.research [at] sonarsource.com;\n- The maintainers, by opening an issue on this repository.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Packagist",
"name" : "studio-42/elfinder"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2.1.58"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/Studio-42/elFinder/security/advisories/GHSA-qm58-cvvm-c5qr"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23394"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/Studio-42/elFinder/issues/3295"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/Studio-42/elFinder/commit/75ea92decc16a5daf7f618f85dc621d1b534b5e1"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://blog.sonarsource.com/elfinder-case-study-of-web-file-manager-vulnerabilities"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/Studio-42/elFinder"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-PHP-STUDIO42ELFINDER-1290554"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-434" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2021-06-14T22:14:26Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2021-06-13T11:15:00Z"
}
}