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CVE-2023-54405 – Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload leading to RCE – H3C CAS CVM (all versions)

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Summary

CVE-2023-54405 is a critical unauthenticated arbitrary file upload vulnerability in H3C CAS CVM (Cloud Virtualization Management), the management component of H3C’s Cloud Automation System virtualization platform. The flaw allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to upload a malicious file to an arbitrary, web-accessible directory and achieve remote code execution on the underlying server. The vulnerability has been assigned a critical CVSS score (9.3–9.8 depending on scoring version) due to its network-based, no-authentication, no-user-interaction attack path.

Technical details

  • Root cause: The /cas/fileUpload/upload endpoint accepts a token parameter that is used to construct the destination path and filename for an uploaded file, but the application fails to properly validate or sanitize this parameter or the uploaded file’s type.
  • Trigger conditions: By manipulating the token parameter with path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../), an attacker can direct the upload outside the intended upload directory and into a web-application directory served by the application server (e.g., a Tomcat webapps path).
  • Attack vector: Network-based (AV:N), requiring no authentication (PR:N) and no user interaction (UI:N), making it exploitable directly against internet- or network-exposed H3C CAS CVM management interfaces.
  • Impact: An attacker can upload a JSP web shell (or other executable server-side script) into a location where it will be served and executed by the web server, resulting in arbitrary remote code execution with the privileges of the web-server process. This can lead to full compromise of the management host, including access to connected virtualization infrastructure.
  • Vulnerability class: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type (CWE-434), combined with path traversal.

Affected software

  • H3C CAS CVM (Cloud Virtualization Management) — all known versions of the product are reported as affected; no version-specific fix boundary has been published by the vendor.

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1: 9.8 (Critical) — CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • CVSS v4.0: 9.3 (Critical) — CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: No official vendor patch version has been identified in public records at the time of writing. Organizations running H3C CAS CVM should contact H3C support directly to confirm whether a fixed build or hotfix is available for their deployed version and apply it as soon as possible.
  • If no patch is available:
    • Restrict network access to the H3C CAS CVM management interface so it is reachable only from trusted, segmented management networks — do not expose it to the internet.
    • Place the management interface behind a VPN, firewall ACLs, or a web application firewall capable of blocking path-traversal patterns and unauthorized access to the /cas/fileUpload/upload endpoint.
    • Monitor web server and application logs for unexpected file uploads, especially .jsp or other executable files written to web-accessible directories (e.g., Tomcat webapps paths).
    • Periodically audit web-accessible directories for unauthorized or unexpected script files, and remove any identified web shells immediately.
    • Treat any H3C CAS CVM instance reachable from untrusted networks as high-risk and prioritize isolation or decommissioning until a vendor fix is confirmed.

References

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