CWE-22
Allowed-with-ReviewImproper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Abstraction: Base · Status: Stable
The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
13066 vulnerabilities reference this CWE, most recent first.
GHSA-VCP2-H9J2-MQMX
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-24 19:20 – Updated: 2022-05-24 19:20AlquistManager branch as of commit 280d99f43b11378212652e75f6f3159cde9c1d36 is affected by a directory traversal vulnerability. This attack can cause the disclosure of critical secrets stored anywhere on the system andcan significantly aid in getting remote code access.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2021-43492"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2021-11-12T15:15:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "AlquistManager branch as of commit 280d99f43b11378212652e75f6f3159cde9c1d36 is affected by a directory traversal vulnerability. This attack can cause the disclosure of critical secrets stored anywhere on the system andcan significantly aid in getting remote code access.",
"id": "GHSA-vcp2-h9j2-mqmx",
"modified": "2022-05-24T19:20:32Z",
"published": "2022-05-24T19:20:32Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-43492"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/AlquistManager/alquist/issues/42"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-VCP3-4359-23X2
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2024-05-03 03:31 – Updated: 2024-05-03 03:31Visualware MyConnection Server doPostUploadfiles Directory Traversal Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Visualware MyConnection Server. Although authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability, the existing authentication mechanism can be bypassed.
The specific flaw exists within the doPostUploadfiles method. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied path prior to using it in file operations. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-21612.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2023-42033"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2024-05-03T03:15:36Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Visualware MyConnection Server doPostUploadfiles Directory Traversal Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Visualware MyConnection Server. Although authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability, the existing authentication mechanism can be bypassed.\n\nThe specific flaw exists within the doPostUploadfiles method. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied path prior to using it in file operations. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-21612.",
"id": "GHSA-vcp3-4359-23x2",
"modified": "2024-05-03T03:31:00Z",
"published": "2024-05-03T03:31:00Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-42033"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://myconnectionserver.visualware.com/support/security-advisories"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-23-1396"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-VCQG-CMV3-WJ57
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2018-07-23 22:48 – Updated: 2023-09-11 23:12Affected versions of rtcmulticonnection-client resolve relative file paths, resulting in a directory traversal vulnerability. A malicious actor can use this vulnerability to access files outside of the intended directory root, which may result in the disclosure of private files on the vulnerable system.
Example request:
GET /../../../../../../../../../../etc/passwd HTTP/1.1
host:foo
Recommendation
No patch is available for this vulnerability.
It is recommended that the package is only used for local development, and if the functionality is needed for production, a different package is used instead.
{
"affected": [
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "npm",
"name": "rtcmulticonnection-client"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"last_affected": "1.0.5"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2017-16125"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2020-06-16T21:57:25Z",
"nvd_published_at": null,
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Affected versions of `rtcmulticonnection-client` resolve relative file paths, resulting in a directory traversal vulnerability. A malicious actor can use this vulnerability to access files outside of the intended directory root, which may result in the disclosure of private files on the vulnerable system.\n\n**Example request:**\n```http\nGET /../../../../../../../../../../etc/passwd HTTP/1.1\nhost:foo\n```\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nNo patch is available for this vulnerability.\n\nIt is recommended that the package is only used for local development, and if the functionality is needed for production, a different package is used instead.",
"id": "GHSA-vcqg-cmv3-wj57",
"modified": "2023-09-11T23:12:07Z",
"published": "2018-07-23T22:48:49Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-16125"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/JacksonGL/NPM-Vuln-PoC/tree/master/directory-traversal/rtcmulticonnection-client"
},
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vcqg-cmv3-wj57"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/muaz-khan/Reliable-Signaler"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/385"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "Directory Traversal in rtcmulticonnection-client"
}
GHSA-VCRC-5V3Q-7W58
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2024-03-19 03:31 – Updated: 2024-08-02 18:31An issue was discovered in OpenClinic GA 5.247.01. An attacker can perform a directory path traversal via the Page parameter in a GET request to popup.jsp.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2023-40280"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2024-03-19T01:15:44Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "An issue was discovered in OpenClinic GA 5.247.01. An attacker can perform a directory path traversal via the Page parameter in a GET request to popup.jsp.",
"id": "GHSA-vcrc-5v3q-7w58",
"modified": "2024-08-02T18:31:08Z",
"published": "2024-03-19T03:31:50Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40280"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/BugBountyHunterCVE/CVE-2023-40280/blob/main/CVE-2023-40280_Authenticated-Directory-Path-Traversal_OpenClinic-GA_5.247.01_Report.md"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://sourceforge.net/projects/open-clinic"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-VCRC-G86W-295V
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-17 03:58 – Updated: 2022-05-17 03:58Directory traversal vulnerability in wiki.c in didiwiki allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via the page parameter to api/page/get.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2013-7448"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2016-02-23T19:59:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Directory traversal vulnerability in wiki.c in didiwiki allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via the page parameter to api/page/get.",
"id": "GHSA-vcrc-g86w-295v",
"modified": "2022-05-17T03:58:24Z",
"published": "2022-05-17T03:58:24Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-7448"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/OpenedHand/didiwiki/pull/1/files"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/yarolig/didiwiki/commit/5e5c796617e1712905dc5462b94bd5e6c08d15ea"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3485"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/02/19/4"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/02/19/5"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/02/19/6"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/02/19/7"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-VCV4-F36J-F989
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-17 02:05 – Updated: 2022-05-17 02:05Directory traversal vulnerability in download.php in EnergyScripts (ES) Simple Download 1.0 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the file parameter.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2010-3456"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2010-09-17T20:00:00Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Directory traversal vulnerability in download.php in EnergyScripts (ES) Simple Download 1.0 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the file parameter.",
"id": "GHSA-vcv4-f36j-f989",
"modified": "2022-05-17T02:05:19Z",
"published": "2022-05-17T02:05:19Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-3456"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/61718"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://packetstormsecurity.org/1009-exploits/essimpledownload-lfi.txt"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://secunia.com/advisories/41359"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/14960"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.osvdb.org/67944"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/43124"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-VCVG-XGR8-P5GQ
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-06-09 19:31 – Updated: 2023-06-09 19:31Impact
Attackers can access data at arbitrary filesystem paths on the same host as an application using FileMiddleware.
Patches
Version 4.29.4
Workarounds
Upgrade to 4.24.4 or later, or disable FileMiddleware.
References
- Introduced in https://github.com/vapor/vapor/pull/2223
- Fixed by https://github.com/vapor/vapor/pull/2500
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue * Email us at security@vapor.codes
{
"affected": [
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "SwiftURL",
"name": "github.com/vapor/vapor"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "4.0.0-rc.2.5"
},
{
"fixed": "4.29.4"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2020-15230"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2023-06-09T19:31:32Z",
"nvd_published_at": "2020-10-02T19:15:00Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "### Impact\n\nAttackers can access data at arbitrary filesystem paths on the same host as an application using `FileMiddleware`.\n\n### Patches\n\nVersion [4.29.4](https://github.com/vapor/vapor/releases/tag/4.29.4)\n\n### Workarounds\n\nUpgrade to 4.24.4 or later, or disable `FileMiddleware`.\n\n### References\n\n* Introduced in https://github.com/vapor/vapor/pull/2223\n* Fixed by https://github.com/vapor/vapor/pull/2500\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n* Open [an issue](https://github.com/vapor/vapor/issues)\n* Email us at [security@vapor.codes](mailto:security@vapor.codes)",
"id": "GHSA-vcvg-xgr8-p5gq",
"modified": "2023-06-09T19:31:32Z",
"published": "2023-06-09T19:31:32Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/vapor/vapor/security/advisories/GHSA-vcvg-xgr8-p5gq"
},
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15230"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/vapor/vapor/pull/2500"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/vapor/vapor/commit/cf1651f7ff76515593f4d8ca6e6e15d2247fe255"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/vapor/vapor"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "Arbitrary file read using percent-encoded relative paths in FileMiddleware"
}
GHSA-VCVR-V426-3M3M
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-10-25 21:08 – Updated: 2023-10-25 21:08Impact
Triggering the office converter with a specially crafted file name allows writing the attachment's content to an attacker-controlled location on the server as long as the Java process has write access to that location. In particular in the combination with attachment moving, a feature introduced in XWiki 14.0, this is easy to reproduce but it also possible to reproduce in versions as old as XWiki 3.5 by uploading the attachment through the REST API which doesn't remove / or \ from the filename. As the mime type of the attachment doesn't matter for the exploitation, this could e.g., be used to replace the jar-file of an extension which would allow executing arbitrary Java code and thus impact the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the XWiki installation. To reproduce the issue on versions since XWiki 14.0, execute the following steps:
- Activate the office server
- Upload an arbitrary file with the extension .doc, e.g., to your user profile (you can use a regular plain text file, only the extension matters).
- Use the attachment move feature to rename the file to ../../../../../tmp/Hello from XWiki.txt where the latter part is the location of a file you want to write on the server. The number of ../ depends on the directory depth, the provided example should work on Linux with the demo distribution.
- Click the "preview" link to trigger the office converter
For information how to reproduce on older versions, see the Jira issue.
To the best of our knowledge, this attack is not possible when the office conversion process doesn't run as the code fails before the file is written.
Patches
This vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 14.10.8 and 15.3RC1.
Workarounds
There are no known workarounds apart from disabling the office converter.
References
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20715
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/45d182a4141ff22f3ff289cf71e4669bdc714544
{
"affected": [
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "Maven",
"name": "org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-office-importer"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "3.5-milestone-1"
},
{
"fixed": "14.10.8"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
},
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "Maven",
"name": "org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-office-importer"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "15.0-rc-1"
},
{
"fixed": "15.3-rc-1"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2023-37913"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2023-10-25T21:08:32Z",
"nvd_published_at": "2023-10-25T18:17:28Z",
"severity": "CRITICAL"
},
"details": "### Impact\n\nTriggering the office converter with a specially crafted file name allows writing the attachment\u0027s content to an attacker-controlled location on the server as long as the Java process has write access to that location. In particular in the combination with attachment moving, a feature introduced in XWiki 14.0, this is easy to reproduce but it also possible to reproduce in versions as old as XWiki 3.5 by uploading the attachment through the REST API which doesn\u0027t remove `/` or `\\` from the filename. As the mime type of the attachment doesn\u0027t matter for the exploitation, this could e.g., be used to replace the `jar`-file of an extension which would allow executing arbitrary Java code and thus impact the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the XWiki installation. To reproduce the issue on versions since XWiki 14.0, execute the following steps:\n\n1. Activate the office server\n2. Upload an arbitrary file with the extension .doc, e.g., to your user profile (you can use a regular plain text file, only the extension matters).\n3. Use the attachment move feature to rename the file to ../../../../../tmp/Hello from XWiki.txt where the latter part is the location of a file you want to write on the server. The number of ../ depends on the directory depth, the provided example should work on Linux with the demo distribution.\n4. Click the \"preview\" link to trigger the office converter\n\nFor information how to reproduce on older versions, see the [Jira issue](https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20715).\n\nTo the best of our knowledge, this attack is not possible when the office conversion process doesn\u0027t run as the code fails before the file is written.\n\n### Patches\n\nThis vulnerability has been patched in XWiki 14.10.8 and 15.3RC1.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nThere are no known workarounds apart from disabling the office converter.\n\n### References\n\n* https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20715\n* https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/45d182a4141ff22f3ff289cf71e4669bdc714544",
"id": "GHSA-vcvr-v426-3m3m",
"modified": "2023-10-25T21:08:32Z",
"published": "2023-10-25T21:08:32Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/security/advisories/GHSA-vcvr-v426-3m3m"
},
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37913"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/45d182a4141ff22f3ff289cf71e4669bdc714544"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-20715"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-office-importer vulnerable to arbitrary server side file writing from account through office converter"
}
GHSA-VCW6-982V-MJMW
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-17 05:00 – Updated: 2022-05-17 05:00Directory traversal vulnerability in the attachment service in the Voice Message Web Service (aka VMWS or Cisco Unity Web Service) in Cisco Unity Connection allows remote authenticated users to create files, and consequently execute arbitrary JSP code, via a crafted pathname for a file that is not a valid audio file, aka Bug ID CSCuj22948.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2013-5534"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2013-10-19T10:36:00Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Directory traversal vulnerability in the attachment service in the Voice Message Web Service (aka VMWS or Cisco Unity Web Service) in Cisco Unity Connection allows remote authenticated users to create files, and consequently execute arbitrary JSP code, via a crafted pathname for a file that is not a valid audio file, aka Bug ID CSCuj22948.",
"id": "GHSA-vcw6-982v-mjmw",
"modified": "2022-05-17T05:00:10Z",
"published": "2022-05-17T05:00:10Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-5534"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityNotice/CVE-2013-5534"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-VCX4-P7Q3-VFVX
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-10-14 18:30 – Updated: 2025-10-14 18:30Arbitrary file download vulnerabilities exist in a low-level interface library in AOS-10 GW and AOS-8 Controller/Mobility Conductor operating systems. Successful exploitation could allow an authenticated malicious actor to download arbitrary files through carefully constructed exploits.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-37145"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-10-14T17:15:41Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Arbitrary file download vulnerabilities exist in a low-level interface library in AOS-10 GW and AOS-8 Controller/Mobility Conductor operating systems. Successful exploitation could allow an authenticated malicious actor to download arbitrary files through carefully constructed exploits.",
"id": "GHSA-vcx4-p7q3-vfvx",
"modified": "2025-10-14T18:30:29Z",
"published": "2025-10-14T18:30:29Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37145"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=hpesbnw04957en_us\u0026docLocale=en_US"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
Mitigation MIT-5.1
Strategy: Input Validation
- Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
- When performing input validation, consider all potentially relevant properties, including length, type of input, the full range of acceptable values, missing or extra inputs, syntax, consistency across related fields, and conformance to business rules. As an example of business rule logic, "boat" may be syntactically valid because it only contains alphanumeric characters, but it is not valid if the input is only expected to contain colors such as "red" or "blue."
- Do not rely exclusively on looking for malicious or malformed inputs. This is likely to miss at least one undesirable input, especially if the code's environment changes. This can give attackers enough room to bypass the intended validation. However, denylists can be useful for detecting potential attacks or determining which inputs are so malformed that they should be rejected outright.
- When validating filenames, use stringent allowlists that limit the character set to be used. If feasible, only allow a single "." character in the filename to avoid weaknesses such as CWE-23, and exclude directory separators such as "/" to avoid CWE-36. Use a list of allowable file extensions, which will help to avoid CWE-434.
- Do not rely exclusively on a filtering mechanism that removes potentially dangerous characters. This is equivalent to a denylist, which may be incomplete (CWE-184). For example, filtering "/" is insufficient protection if the filesystem also supports the use of "\" as a directory separator. Another possible error could occur when the filtering is applied in a way that still produces dangerous data (CWE-182). For example, if "../" sequences are removed from the ".../...//" string in a sequential fashion, two instances of "../" would be removed from the original string, but the remaining characters would still form the "../" string.
Mitigation MIT-15
For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
Mitigation MIT-20.1
Strategy: Input Validation
- Inputs should be decoded and canonicalized to the application's current internal representation before being validated (CWE-180). Make sure that the application does not decode the same input twice (CWE-174). Such errors could be used to bypass allowlist validation schemes by introducing dangerous inputs after they have been checked.
- Use a built-in path canonicalization function (such as realpath() in C) that produces the canonical version of the pathname, which effectively removes ".." sequences and symbolic links (CWE-23, CWE-59). This includes:
- realpath() in C
- getCanonicalPath() in Java
- GetFullPath() in ASP.NET
- realpath() or abs_path() in Perl
- realpath() in PHP
Mitigation MIT-4
Strategy: Libraries or Frameworks
Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid [REF-1482].
Mitigation MIT-29
Strategy: Firewall
Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth [REF-1481].
Mitigation MIT-17
Strategy: Environment Hardening
Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks [REF-76]. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.
Mitigation MIT-21.1
Strategy: Enforcement by Conversion
- When the set of acceptable objects, such as filenames or URLs, is limited or known, create a mapping from a set of fixed input values (such as numeric IDs) to the actual filenames or URLs, and reject all other inputs.
- For example, ID 1 could map to "inbox.txt" and ID 2 could map to "profile.txt". Features such as the ESAPI AccessReferenceMap [REF-185] provide this capability.
Mitigation MIT-22
Strategy: Sandbox or Jail
- Run the code in a "jail" or similar sandbox environment that enforces strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. This may effectively restrict which files can be accessed in a particular directory or which commands can be executed by the software.
- OS-level examples include the Unix chroot jail, AppArmor, and SELinux. In general, managed code may provide some protection. For example, java.io.FilePermission in the Java SecurityManager allows the software to specify restrictions on file operations.
- This may not be a feasible solution, and it only limits the impact to the operating system; the rest of the application may still be subject to compromise.
- Be careful to avoid CWE-243 and other weaknesses related to jails.
Mitigation MIT-34
Strategy: Attack Surface Reduction
- Store library, include, and utility files outside of the web document root, if possible. Otherwise, store them in a separate directory and use the web server's access control capabilities to prevent attackers from directly requesting them. One common practice is to define a fixed constant in each calling program, then check for the existence of the constant in the library/include file; if the constant does not exist, then the file was directly requested, and it can exit immediately.
- This significantly reduces the chance of an attacker being able to bypass any protection mechanisms that are in the base program but not in the include files. It will also reduce the attack surface.
Mitigation MIT-39
- Ensure that error messages only contain minimal details that are useful to the intended audience and no one else. The messages need to strike the balance between being too cryptic (which can confuse users) or being too detailed (which may reveal more than intended). The messages should not reveal the methods that were used to determine the error. Attackers can use detailed information to refine or optimize their original attack, thereby increasing their chances of success.
- If errors must be captured in some detail, record them in log messages, but consider what could occur if the log messages can be viewed by attackers. Highly sensitive information such as passwords should never be saved to log files.
- Avoid inconsistent messaging that might accidentally tip off an attacker about internal state, such as whether a user account exists or not.
- In the context of path traversal, error messages which disclose path information can help attackers craft the appropriate attack strings to move through the file system hierarchy.
Mitigation MIT-16
Strategy: Environment Hardening
When using PHP, configure the application so that it does not use register_globals. During implementation, develop the application so that it does not rely on this feature, but be wary of implementing a register_globals emulation that is subject to weaknesses such as CWE-95, CWE-621, and similar issues.
CAPEC-126: Path Traversal
An adversary uses path manipulation methods to exploit insufficient input validation of a target to obtain access to data that should be not be retrievable by ordinary well-formed requests. A typical variety of this attack involves specifying a path to a desired file together with dot-dot-slash characters, resulting in the file access API or function traversing out of the intended directory structure and into the root file system. By replacing or modifying the expected path information the access function or API retrieves the file desired by the attacker. These attacks either involve the attacker providing a complete path to a targeted file or using control characters (e.g. path separators (/ or \) and/or dots (.)) to reach desired directories or files.
CAPEC-64: Using Slashes and URL Encoding Combined to Bypass Validation Logic
This attack targets the encoding of the URL combined with the encoding of the slash characters. An attacker can take advantage of the multiple ways of encoding a URL and abuse the interpretation of the URL. A URL may contain special character that need special syntax handling in order to be interpreted. Special characters are represented using a percentage character followed by two digits representing the octet code of the original character (%HEX-CODE). For instance US-ASCII space character would be represented with %20. This is often referred as escaped ending or percent-encoding. Since the server decodes the URL from the requests, it may restrict the access to some URL paths by validating and filtering out the URL requests it received. An attacker will try to craft an URL with a sequence of special characters which once interpreted by the server will be equivalent to a forbidden URL. It can be difficult to protect against this attack since the URL can contain other format of encoding such as UTF-8 encoding, Unicode-encoding, etc.
CAPEC-76: Manipulating Web Input to File System Calls
An attacker manipulates inputs to the target software which the target software passes to file system calls in the OS. The goal is to gain access to, and perhaps modify, areas of the file system that the target software did not intend to be accessible.
CAPEC-78: Using Escaped Slashes in Alternate Encoding
This attack targets the use of the backslash in alternate encoding. An adversary can provide a backslash as a leading character and causes a parser to believe that the next character is special. This is called an escape. By using that trick, the adversary tries to exploit alternate ways to encode the same character which leads to filter problems and opens avenues to attack.
CAPEC-79: Using Slashes in Alternate Encoding
This attack targets the encoding of the Slash characters. An adversary would try to exploit common filtering problems related to the use of the slashes characters to gain access to resources on the target host. Directory-driven systems, such as file systems and databases, typically use the slash character to indicate traversal between directories or other container components. For murky historical reasons, PCs (and, as a result, Microsoft OSs) choose to use a backslash, whereas the UNIX world typically makes use of the forward slash. The schizophrenic result is that many MS-based systems are required to understand both forms of the slash. This gives the adversary many opportunities to discover and abuse a number of common filtering problems. The goal of this pattern is to discover server software that only applies filters to one version, but not the other.