Description
Bolt CMS versions 3.7.0 and earlier contain a chain of vulnerabilities that together allow an authenticated user to achieve remote code execution. A user with valid credentials can inject arbitrary PHP code into the displayname field of the user profile, which is rendered unsanitized in backend templates. The attacker can then list and rename cached session files via the /async/browse/cache/.sessions and /async/folder/rename endpoints. By renaming a .session file to a path under the publicly accessible /files/ directory with a .php extension, the attacker can turn the injected code into an executable web shell. Finally, the attacker triggers the payload via a crafted HTTP GET request to the rogue file.
NOTE: The vendor announced that Bolt 3 reached end-of-life after 31 December 2021.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt | CMS | ≤ 3.7.0 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | bolt | No fix yet | — |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Metasploit 1 module
-
Bolt CMS 3.7.0 - Authenticated Remote Code Execution
exploit/unix/webapp/bolt_authenticated_rce
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packagist | bolt/bolt | <= 3.7.0 | — | GHSA-p9qc-8jjx-g8cg |
References
- CMS 3.7.1 Release Notes vendor-advisory patch release-notes
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48296 exploit
- https://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/unix/webapp/bolt_authenticated_rce/ third-party-advisory
- https://github.com/bolt/bolt product
- https://boltcms.io/newsitem/major-announcements-bolt-3-eol-bolt-4-2-5-0-releases vendor-advisory
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/unix/webapp/bolt_authenticated_rce.rb exploit