Unauthenticated command execution via mimencode file write
Published Aug 30, 2025 · Updated May 15, 2026
Unrestricted file upload in ContentKeeper Web Appliance before 125.10 allows remote attackers to execute commands through mimencode CGI. The exposed /cgi-bin/ck/mimencode handler accepts a POST-selected filename and writes attacker-controlled, executable content beneath the CGI path without authentication. Access to the appliance management address is required; commands initially run as Apache, while benetool's unsafe PATH lookup allows escalation to root.
Summary
What happened
Unrestricted file upload in ContentKeeper Web Appliance before 125.10 allows remote attackers to execute commands through mimencode CGI. The exposed /cgi-bin/ck/mimencode handler accepts a POST-selected filename and writes attacker-controlled, executable content beneath the CGI path without authentication. Access to the appliance management address is required; commands initially run as Apache, while benetool's unsafe PATH lookup allows escalation to root.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2009-20011
- Published
- Aug 30, 2025
- Updated
- May 15, 2026
- Vendor
- ContentKeeper Technologies
- Product
- ContentKeeper Web Appliance
- Classifications
- CWE-78, CWE-434, CAPEC-88, CAPEC-233, T1190, T1068
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 30, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 15, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <125.10
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- ContentKeeper Web Remote Command Execution Metasploit moduleweaponized · validated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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