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GHSA-gq96-5pfx-f4vc
No affected components available
Summary
The /api/_action/media/external-link endpoint allows authenticated admin users to make server-side HTTP HEAD requests to arbitrary internal IP addresses. While the parallel uploadFromURL flow validates target IPs against private/reserved ranges via FileUrlValidator, the linkURL flow only performs a URL format check (regex for http:// or https:// prefix), allowing SSRF to internal network services and cloud metadata endpoints.
Details
The vulnerability is an inconsistency between two URL-handling flows in MediaUploadService.
Vulnerable path (external-link):
MediaUploadV2Controller::externalLink() at src/Core/Content/Media/Api/MediaUploadV2Controller.php:66 takes a user-supplied url parameter and passes it to MediaUploadService::linkURL() at src/Core/Content/Media/Upload/MediaUploadService.php:134.
linkURL() calls getContentSizeFromValidExternalUrl($url) at line 159, which only validates via validateExternalUrl():
// src/Core/Content/Media/Upload/MediaUploadService.php:207-212
public static function validateExternalUrl(string $url): void
{
if (!preg_match('/^https?:\/\/.+/', $url)) {
throw MediaException::invalidUrl($url);
}
}
Then makes a server-side HEAD request with no IP filtering:
// src/Core/Content/Media/Upload/MediaUploadService.php:292-300
private function getContentSizeFromValidExternalUrl(string $url): int
{
$this->validateExternalUrl($url);
$headers = $this->httpClient->request('HEAD', $url)->getHeaders();
if (!\array_key_exists('content-length', $headers)) {
throw MediaException::fileNotFound($url);
}
return (int) $headers['content-length'][0];
}
Protected path (upload_by_url):
In contrast, uploadFromURL uses FileFetcher::fetchFromURL() which calls FileUrlValidator::isValid():
// src/Core/Content/Media/File/FileFetcher.php:64
if ($this->enableUrlValidation && !$this->fileUrlValidator->isValid($url)) {
throw MediaException::illegalUrl($url);
}
FileUrlValidator::isValid() resolves the hostname via gethostbyname() and validates the IP against private and reserved ranges using filter_var() with FILTER_FLAG_NO_PRIV_RANGE | FILTER_FLAG_NO_RES_RANGE. This protection is entirely absent from the linkURL flow.
Impact
An authenticated admin user can:
- Probe cloud metadata services — HEAD requests to
169.254.169.254reveal whether cloud metadata endpoints exist and leak content-length values - Scan internal networks — Differentiate open/closed/filtered ports on internal hosts (10.x, 172.16.x, 192.168.x) based on response timing and error types
- Leak internal service information — The
fileSizefield stored in the database reflects thecontent-lengthheader from internal services - Redirect-based escalation — Symfony HttpClient follows redirects by default (max_redirects=20), allowing an attacker-controlled external server to redirect the HEAD request to arbitrary internal destinations
Impact is limited to information disclosure via HEAD requests. The admin authentication requirement (PR:H) reduces exploitability, but in multi-tenant or compromised-credential scenarios this allows network reconnaissance from the server's perspective.
Recommended Fix
Apply FileUrlValidator to the linkURL flow, consistent with the uploadFromURL flow. In MediaUploadService:
// src/Core/Content/Media/Upload/MediaUploadService.php
// Add constructor dependency:
private readonly FileUrlValidatorInterface $fileUrlValidator;
// In getContentSizeFromValidExternalUrl(), add IP validation:
private function getContentSizeFromValidExternalUrl(string $url): int
{
$this->validateExternalUrl($url);
if (!$this->fileUrlValidator->isValid($url)) {
throw MediaException::illegalUrl($url);
}
$headers = $this->httpClient->request('HEAD', $url)->getHeaders();
if (!\array_key_exists('content-length', $headers)) {
throw MediaException::fileNotFound($url);
}
return (int) $headers['content-length'][0];
}
Additionally, consider setting max_redirects: 0 on the HttpClient request to prevent redirect-based SSRF bypasses.
The vulnerability can be exploited over the network without needing physical access. It is easy for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker needs high-level or administrative privileges. No user interaction is needed for the attacker to exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability can affect other systems as well, not just the initial system. There is a low impact on the confidentiality of the information.
Limited exploitation activity has been observed. Close monitoring and planned remediation are recommended.
Probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days.
We did not find any exploit available. Neither in GitHub repositories nor in the Exploit-Database.
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