The loadContentFromCookie function in core/Cookie.php in Piwik before 0.5 does not validate strings obtained from cookies before calling the unserialize function, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or upload arbitrary files via vectors related to the __destruct function in the Piwik_Config class; php://filter URIs; the __destruct functions in Zend Framework, as demonstrated by the Zend_Log destructor; the shutdown functions in Zend Framework, as demonstrated by the Zend_Log_Writer_Mail class; the render function in the Piwik_View class; Smarty templates; and the _eval function in Smarty.

References

• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-4137
• http://dev.piwik.org/trac/changeset/1637
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/12/09/2
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/12/10/1
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/12/14/2
• http://www.suspekt.org/downloads/POC2009-ShockingNewsInPHPExploitation.pdf
• http://piwik.org/blog/2009/12/piwik-response-to-shocking-news-in-php-exploitation
• http://www.sektioneins.de/en/advisories/advisory-032009-piwik-cookie-unserialize-vulnerability
• http://www.suspekt.org/2009/12/09/advisory-032009-piwik-cookie-unserialize-vulnerability