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PYSEC-2026-1665
No affected components available
Summary
Upon reviewing the MobSF source code, I identified a flaw in the Static Libraries analysis section. Specifically, during the extraction of .a extension files, the measure intended to prevent Zip Slip attacks is improperly implemented.
Since the implemented measure can be bypassed, the vulnerability allows an attacker to extract files to any desired location within the server running MobSF.
Details
Upon examining lines 183-192 of the mobsf/StaticAnalyzer/views/common/shared_func.py file, it is observed that there is a mitigation against Zip Slip attacks implemented as a.decode('utf-8', 'ignore').replace('../', '').replace('..\\', ''). However, this measure can be bypassed using sequences like ....//....//....//. Since the replace operation is not recursive, this sequence is transformed into ../../../ after the replace operation, allowing files to be written to upper directories.
For the proof of concept, I created an .a archive file that renders MobSF unusable by writing an empty file with the same name over the database located at /home/mobsf/.MobSF/db.sqlite3.
I am including the binary used for the POC named poc.VULN. To test it, you need to rename this binary to poc.a.
Warning: As soon as you scan this file with MobSF, the database will be deleted, rendering MobSF unusable.
PoC Binary File (poc.VULN)
PoC
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3225ccb0-cb00-47a5-8305-37a40ca1ae7f
Impact
When a malicious .a file is scanned with MobSF, a critical vulnerability is present as it allows files to be extracted to any location on the server where MobSF is running. In this POC, I deleted the database, but it is also possible to achieve RCE by overwriting binaries of certain tools or by overwriting the /etc/passwd file.
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 basic access or low-level privileges. The attacker needs the user to perform some action, like clicking a link. The impact is confined to the system where the vulnerability exists. There is a high impact on the confidentiality of the information. There is a high impact on the integrity of the data. There is a high impact on the availability of the system.
Exploitation activity has been observed. Apply available patches or mitigations urgently.
The exploit probability is very low. The vulnerability is unlikely to be exploited in the next 30 days.
We did not find any exploit available. Neither in GitHub repositories nor in the Exploit-Database.
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