External risk intelligence

Spreecommerce Search Parameter Remote Command Execution

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 10.0)

CVE-2011-10019

Spreecommerce is an e-commerce platform designed to host online stores. Its search functionality is a core feature exposed to the public internet by design to allow customers to browse and find products. Because this vulnerability exists within a public-facing search parameter of a web application, it is commonly deployed in an internet-facing capacity.

Code Injection

Spreecommerce Spree

before 0.60.2

Halo Surface Signal: 4 out of 5 — likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A critical vulnerability in Spreecommerce's search functionality allows unauthenticated remote command execution on affected servers. This means an attacker could potentially run any command on the server hosting the Spreecommerce application.

Command execution via website search input.
Attacks could compromise server operations.
Confirm if this e-commerce platform is in use.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker can exploit a vulnerability in Spreecommerce's search feature by sending specially crafted input through the `search[send][]` parameter. This input is processed in a way that allows arbitrary shell commands to be executed on the server, potentially leading to a complete compromise of the application and underlying infrastructure. The vulnerability is present in versions prior to 0.60.2.

No authentication required.
Search input manipulation.
Server-side command execution.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability could allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary shell commands on the server. This could occur when the application's search functionality is accessible over the network and processes user-supplied input without proper sanitization.

Server-side code execution.
Unsanitized search input.
Compromised system integrity.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

Application owners and platform teams are likely responsible for addressing this critical remote command execution vulnerability in Spreecommerce's search functionality. The first practical step involves identifying all instances of the affected Spreecommerce application, confirming its exposure to the internet and business criticality, and then locating the accountable owner to plan remediation based on assessed risk.

Identify and confirm accountable owners.
Verify external reachability and criticality.
Plan risk-based remediation actions.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Spreecommerce?

Spreecommerce is an open-source e-commerce platform built on the Ruby on Rails framework. It provides the core functionality needed to build and manage online stores, such as product catalogs, cart management, and search features. Because it is designed to power retail websites, it is frequently deployed on servers that are directly connected to the internet to ensure customers can shop.

How does CVE-2011-10019 work?

This vulnerability is classified as Improper Control of Generation of Code, or CWE-94. It occurs because the application takes input from the search bar and passes it directly to a Ruby function called 'send' without cleaning it first. This allows an attacker to inject and execute their own system commands, effectively taking control of the server that hosts the application.

Do I need to be logged in for this to trigger?

No. The vulnerability does not require any authentication, meaning anyone with network access to the search feature can trigger it. It is important to note that the issue is specific to the search parameter mechanism. Simply visiting the site or performing standard, non-malicious searches through the legitimate user interface does not trigger the underlying command execution flaw.

Is my instance at risk?

Halo Surface Signal indicates that because this vulnerability exists within a core search feature, it is typically deployed in an internet-facing capacity. If your instance is reachable from the public internet, it is inherently exposed. You should consider any installation prior to version 0.60.2 as a high-priority target for an attacker looking to gain unauthorized access.

When should I take action?

You should prioritize this immediately if you identify that your organization uses Spreecommerce versions earlier than 0.60.2. The first step is to perform an inventory of your environment to locate these specific versions. Once identified, coordinate with your engineering or platform teams to plan an update to a secure version, as this is the only way to effectively close the command execution path.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.