External risk intelligence

Mecha CMS Directory Traversal File Deletion and Takeover Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2024-46446

Mecha CMS is a web content management system designed to be hosted on web servers. As a public-facing web application, it is commonly exposed to the internet to serve website content, making the application's interface and underlying services accessible to remote users and potential attackers by design.

Path Traversal

Mecha Cms Mecha

3.0.0

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 has been identified in Mecha CMS, a web content management system. This issue allows unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary files or potentially take over a website by exploiting weaknesses in how the system handles user identity and processes data through cookies and URIs.

Attackers can delete files or take over a website.
High impact due to easy exploitation and broad reach.
Confirm relevance and assess exposure to this web system.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting specific cookies and Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) to bypass Mecha CMS's user identity checks. Once these checks are bypassed, the attacker can send parameters via the POST method, which could lead to the deletion of arbitrary files on the server or a complete website takeover.

Unauthenticated access to the web application.
Manipulating cookies and URIs to bypass checks.
Arbitrary file deletion or website takeover.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

A directory traversal vulnerability in Mecha CMS could allow an unauthenticated attacker to delete arbitrary files or take over a website by crafting specific cookie and URI parameters, bypassing identity checks and leveraging POST requests.

Website files and configuration.
Attacker sends crafted cookies and URIs.
Arbitrary file deletion or website takeover.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

Identifying the scope of Mecha CMS deployments is the critical first step, involving application owners and infrastructure teams to locate all instances. Once identified, confirm their reachability, business criticality, and accountable owners to prioritize remediation efforts, potentially involving vendor coordination or temporary risk reduction measures.

Application owners should own this issue.
Verify instance reachability and criticality first.
Plan remediation based on confirmed risk.

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 Mecha CMS?

Mecha CMS is a lightweight web content management system used to build and maintain websites. It functions as a server-side application that generates and serves web pages to users. Because it is designed to run on web servers, it handles various files and configurations necessary for site operation, making the integrity of its file system critical for overall website security.

What is the weakness in CVE-2024-46446?

This vulnerability is a Directory Traversal, classified as CWE-22. It occurs when software fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input when accessing file paths. In this instance, the flaw allows an attacker to manipulate file paths, effectively escaping the intended directory. By bypassing identity checks, this weakness enables unauthorized actions, such as deleting essential files or gaining control over the website's configuration.

How does an attacker trigger this vulnerability?

An attacker triggers this by crafting specific cookies and URIs that trick the software into bypassing its internal identity verification. Once these checks are circumvented, the attacker can use malicious POST requests to target files on the server. Importantly, this does not require legitimate user credentials or prior access; the flaw exists within the application's processing logic itself.

Is my instance at risk according to Halo Surface Signal?

Halo Surface Signal identifies that because Mecha CMS is a web-based platform typically hosted on servers, it is often exposed to the internet to remain accessible to visitors. If your instance is reachable from the public internet, it falls into the 'likely' risk category for this external-facing vulnerability. Instances restricted to internal networks may have reduced reachability but should still be evaluated for their potential exposure.

What should I do if I run Mecha CMS?

Start by identifying all deployed instances of Mecha CMS within your environment, as visibility is the foundation of your response. Coordinate with application owners to determine the business criticality of each instance and confirm how they are exposed to the network. Use this inventory to prioritize your response efforts, focusing on public-facing sites first, and monitor for vendor updates or security guidance to address the underlying software flaw.

References

github.com/Sp1d3rL1/Mecha-cms-Arbitrary-File-Deletion-Vulnerabil…

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.