CVE-2026-103474
yii2-starter-kit through 4.2.0 fails to validate file types in the backend storage upload actions, allowing authenticate
Summary
yii2-starter-kit through 4.2.0 fails to validate file types in the backend storage upload actions, allowing authenticated managers to upload PHP files. Attackers with manager role can upload PHP scripts to the web-accessible storage directory and request them to execute arbitrary code on the server.
Published 2026-09-30 · first seen here 2026-10-10
Analysis & write-ups
No technical write-up from a research team yet. Contact Zero checks Unit 42, Google/Mandiant, Microsoft, Talos, CrowdStrike, Rapid7, watchTowr and others several times a day, plus NVD and CISA reference links.
Where it shows in your logs
Server or web application · Unrestricted file upload (web shell) medium confidence
What to look for
- New .jsp, .jspx, .aspx, .ashx, .php files in web-served folders
- POST to an upload endpoint followed by GET or POST requests to a newly created script file
- The application's process (w3wp.exe, java, tomcat, node, php-fpm, httpd, python) starting shells or LOLBins (cmd, powershell, sh, bash, curl, wget, certutil)
- New script files in web roots (.jsp, .aspx, .php): a web shell
- Requests to unusual URLs on the application from internet IPs right before any of the above
- Outbound connections from the server to new external IPs
Data sources
Web server and WAF logs · ATT&CK DS0015 Application Log Content
- Sentinel
W3CIISLogAppServiceHTTPLogsAzureDiagnostics (Application Gateway / Front Door WAF)_Im_WebSession- Splunk
Web.Webms:iis:autoaccess_combinedWAF / proxy sourcetypes- CrowdStrike
Falcon Next-Gen SIEM: third-party web / WAF / proxy logs
Process creation · ATT&CK DS0009 Process Creation
- Sentinel
DeviceProcessEventsSecurityEvent (4688)Sysmon Event ID 1_Im_ProcessCreate- Splunk
Endpoint.ProcessesXmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/OperationalWinEventLog:Security (4688)- CrowdStrike
ProcessRollup2SyntheticProcessRollup2
File creation · ATT&CK DS0022 File Creation
- Sentinel
DeviceFileEventsSysmon Event ID 11_Im_FileEvent- Splunk
Endpoint.FilesystemSysmon Event ID 11- CrowdStrike
NewExecutableWrittenNewScriptWritten*FileWritten events
Network connections · ATT&CK DS0029 Network Connection Creation / Network Traffic Flow
- Sentinel
DeviceNetworkEventsCommonSecurityLog (firewall)_Im_NetworkSession- Splunk
Network_Traffic.All_TrafficFirewall sourcetypes (pan:traffic, fortigate_traffic, cisco:asa)- CrowdStrike
NetworkConnectIP4NetworkReceiveAcceptIP4NetworkConnectIP6
A generic baseline worked out from the product type and weakness (CWE-434), not a detection. Check table and field names against your environment. Hunt queries for Sigma, Splunk, Sentinel and CrowdStrike are coming.
References
- NVD entry
- https://github.com/yii-starter-kit/yii2-starter-kit
- https://github.com/yii-starter-kit/yii2-starter-kit/blob/cc2c451e8c959c7300b04efea597706a38609f58/backend/modules/file/controllers/StorageController.php#L36
- https://github.com/yii-starter-kit/yii2-starter-kit/issues/797
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/yii2-starter-kit-through-4.2.0-unrestricted-file-upload-rce