CVE-2022-40842 is a critical Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability identified in the NdkAdvancedCustomizationFields version 3.5.0, specifically exploitable via the rotateimg.php script. SSRF vulnerabilities allow an attacker to induce the vulnerable server to make HTTP requests to arbitrary domains or internal systems that the attacker normally cannot access. In this case, the vulnerability arises because the rotateimg.php endpoint improperly validates or sanitizes user-supplied input that controls the target of server-side requests. This can lead to unauthorized internal network scanning, access to sensitive internal resources, or interaction with backend services that are otherwise protected from external access. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.1 reflects the high severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The impact on confidentiality and integrity is high (C:H/I:H), while availability impact is none (A:N). The vulnerability does not require authentication, making it exploitable by unauthenticated remote attackers. Although no known exploits in the wild have been reported, the critical nature and ease of exploitation make this a significant threat. The CWE-918 classification confirms the SSRF nature of the issue. No vendor or product information beyond the NdkAdvancedCustomizationFields 3.5.0 version is provided, and no patches or mitigations have been linked, indicating that affected organizations must proactively identify and secure this component in their environments.

For European organizations, this SSRF vulnerability poses a substantial risk, especially for those using the NdkAdvancedCustomizationFields 3.5.0 component in web applications or services accessible over the internet. Exploitation could allow attackers to pivot into internal networks, access sensitive data repositories, or interact with internal APIs and services that are not exposed externally. This could lead to data breaches involving personal data protected under GDPR, intellectual property theft, or disruption of internal operations through unauthorized data manipulation. Critical infrastructure sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies in Europe could be particularly impacted due to the sensitive nature of their internal systems and the regulatory implications of data exposure. The lack of required authentication and user interaction increases the likelihood of automated exploitation attempts, potentially leading to widespread scanning and targeted attacks. Furthermore, the ability to compromise confidentiality and integrity without affecting availability means attackers could stealthily exfiltrate or alter data without immediate detection.

European organizations should immediately audit their environments to identify any deployment of NdkAdvancedCustomizationFields 3.5.0 or related components, focusing on web applications utilizing rotateimg.php or similar endpoints. In the absence of official patches, organizations should implement strict input validation and sanitization on any parameters that control server-side requests, employing allowlists for permissible domains or IP addresses. Network segmentation should be enforced to limit the web server's ability to initiate requests to sensitive internal resources. Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) can be configured with custom rules to detect and block suspicious SSRF patterns targeting rotateimg.php. Additionally, monitoring and logging of outbound HTTP requests from web servers should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior indicative of SSRF exploitation. Organizations should also conduct penetration testing focused on SSRF vectors to validate the effectiveness of mitigations. Finally, maintaining up-to-date threat intelligence feeds and subscribing to vendor advisories will be critical to apply patches promptly once available.