CVE-2022-44786 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the web application Appalti & Contratti version 9.12.2. The vulnerability is classified as a Local File Inclusion (LFI) issue, specifically identified under CWE-98. The flaw arises from the way the application handles the 'href' parameter, which is used to specify the JSP page to be rendered. Both POST and GET requests to the ApriPagina.do endpoint are affected. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the 'href' parameter to include arbitrary local files from the server's filesystem. This can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive files, such as configuration files, source code, or other data residing on the server. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating a high severity level. The vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) shows that the attack can be performed remotely over the network without any privileges or user interaction, and the impact is primarily on confidentiality, with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the published date (November 21, 2022). The vulnerability does not have an official patch linked, which suggests that remediation may require vendor intervention or custom mitigations. The LFI vulnerability can be leveraged by attackers to read sensitive files, potentially leading to further attacks such as credential theft, reconnaissance, or pivoting within the network.

For European organizations using Appalti & Contratti 9.12.2, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of sensitive information. Given that the vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files, attackers could access critical configuration files, credentials, or personal data stored on the server. This could lead to data breaches, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), and reputational damage. The impact is particularly severe for public sector entities, procurement offices, or organizations managing contracts and tenders, as Appalti & Contratti is a software suite commonly used for public procurement and contract management in Italy and potentially other European countries. The lack of integrity and availability impact means the system's operation is not directly disrupted, but the confidentiality breach alone can have cascading effects, including enabling further attacks or espionage. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation without authentication or user interaction increases the risk of automated scanning and exploitation attempts, especially in environments exposed to the internet.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting external access to the ApriPagina.do endpoint, ideally limiting it to trusted internal networks or VPN users. 2. Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests containing traversal sequences or attempts to manipulate the 'href' parameter. 3. Conduct thorough input validation and sanitization on the 'href' parameter to ensure only allowed JSP pages can be requested, employing a whitelist approach rather than blacklisting. 4. If possible, disable dynamic page inclusion based on user-supplied parameters or refactor the application logic to avoid direct file inclusion. 5. Monitor server logs for unusual access patterns or attempts to exploit LFI vectors. 6. Engage with the software vendor or development team to obtain or develop an official patch or update that addresses the vulnerability. 7. As a temporary measure, consider deploying file system permissions that restrict the web server's ability to read sensitive files that should not be exposed. 8. Educate IT and security teams about this vulnerability to ensure rapid response to any detected exploitation attempts.