From exposed dev credentials to full system compromise through RCE and Tar (Tape-Archive) file abuse.

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Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Subdomain Discovery & Credential Leakage
3. Exploiting Gila CMS Authenticated RCE
4. Privilege Escalation via Tar File Abuse

Overview

Gila CMS is a lightweight, open-source content management system written in PHP. It is commonly deployed for small to medium web applications due to its simplicity and minimal configuration overhead. However, like many CMS platforms, its security posture heavily depends on proper configuration, version management, and exposure of administrative interfaces. Outdated versions, such as 1.10.9 have been publicly documented to contain critical vulnerabilities, including authenticated remote code execution (RCE), making them highly attractive targets during web application assessments.

The engagement began with standard reconnaissance techniques. A full TCP port scan and service enumeration revealed two exposed services:

• 22/tcp (SSH)