CWE-22
Weakness Allowed-with-ReviewImproper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
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.
Many file operations are intended to take place within a restricted directory. By using special elements such as ".." and "/" separators, attackers can escape outside of the restricted location to access files or directories that are elsewhere on the system. One of the most common special elements is the "../" sequence, which in most modern operating systems is interpreted as the parent directory of the current location. This is referred to as relative path traversal. Path traversal also covers the use of absolute pathnames such as "/usr/local/bin" to access unexpected files. This is referred to as absolute path traversal.
Mapping guidance
This CWE entry might have children that would be more appropriate.
Examine children of this entry to see if there is a better fit. Consider children such as CWE-23 (or its descendants) for relative path traversal, or CWE-36 for absolute path traversal.
Relationships and members
Modes of introduction
Detection methods
Automated Static Analysis
Automated techniques can find areas where path traversal weaknesses exist. However, tuning or customization may be required to remove or de-prioritize path-traversal problems that are only exploitable by the product's administrator - or other privileged users - and thus potentially valid behavior or, at worst, a bug instead of a vulnerability.
Effectiveness: High
Manual Static Analysis
Manual white box techniques may be able to provide sufficient code coverage and reduction of false positives if all file access operations can be assessed within limited time constraints.
Effectiveness: High
Automated Static Analysis - Binary or Bytecode
According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:
Highly cost effective:
Bytecode Weakness Analysis - including disassembler + source code weakness analysis
Cost effective for partial coverage:
Binary Weakness Analysis - including disassembler + source code weakness analysis
Effectiveness: High
Manual Static Analysis - Binary or Bytecode
According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:
Cost effective for partial coverage:
Binary / Bytecode disassembler - then use manual analysis for vulnerabilities & anomalies
Effectiveness: SOAR Partial
Dynamic Analysis with Automated Results Interpretation
According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:
Highly cost effective:
Web Application Scanner
Web Services Scanner
Database Scanners
Effectiveness: High
Dynamic Analysis with Manual Results Interpretation
According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:
Highly cost effective:
Fuzz Tester
Framework-based Fuzzer
Effectiveness: High
Manual Static Analysis - Source Code
According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:
Highly cost effective:
Manual Source Code Review (not inspections)
Cost effective for partial coverage:
Focused Manual Spotcheck - Focused manual analysis of source
Effectiveness: High
Automated Static Analysis - Source Code
According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:
Highly cost effective:
Source code Weakness Analyzer
Context-configured Source Code Weakness Analyzer
Effectiveness: High
Architecture or Design Review
According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:
Highly cost effective:
Formal Methods / Correct-By-Construction
Cost effective for partial coverage:
Inspection (IEEE 1028 standard) (can apply to requirements, design, source code, etc.)
Effectiveness: High
Notes
Other
In many programming languages, the injection of a null byte (the 0 or NUL) may allow an attacker to truncate a generated filename to apply to a wider range of files. For example, the product may add ".txt" to any pathname, thus limiting the attacker to text files, but a null injection may effectively remove this restriction.
Relationship
Pathname equivalence can be regarded as a type of canonicalization error.
Relationship
Some pathname equivalence issues are not directly related to directory traversal, rather are used to bypass security-relevant checks for whether a file/directory can be accessed by the attacker (e.g. a trailing "/" on a filename could bypass access rules that don't expect a trailing /, causing a server to provide the file when it normally would not).
Terminology
Like other weaknesses, terminology is often based on the types of manipulations used, instead of the underlying weaknesses. Some people use "directory traversal" only to refer to the injection of ".." and equivalent sequences whose specific meaning is to traverse directories.
Other variants like "absolute pathname" and "drive letter" have the *effect* of directory traversal, but some people may not call it such, since it doesn't involve ".." or equivalent.
Research Gap
Many variants of path traversal attacks are probably under-studied with respect to root cause. CWE-790 and CWE-182 begin to cover part of this gap.
Research Gap
Incomplete diagnosis or reporting of vulnerabilities can make it difficult to know which variant is affected. For example, a researcher might say that "..\" is vulnerable, but not test "../" which may also be vulnerable.
Any combination of directory separators ("/", "\", etc.) and numbers of "." (e.g. "....") can produce unique variants; for example, the "//../" variant is not listed (CVE-2004-0325). See this entry's children and lower-level descendants.
Content history
Identified weakness in Perl demonstrative example
Provided diagram to improve CWE usability
Identified weakness in "good code" for Python demonstrative example
Provided a demonstrative example in PHP
updated Potential_Mitigations, Time_of_Introduction
Suggested OWASP Top Ten 2004 mapping
updated Alternate_Terms, Relationships, Other_Notes, Relationship_Notes, Relevant_Properties, Taxonomy_Mappings, Weakness_Ordinalities
updated Description
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updated Relationships
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updated Demonstrative_Examples
updated Affected_Resources, Causal_Nature, Likelihood_of_Exploit, References, Relationships, Relevant_Properties, Taxonomy_Mappings
updated References, Relationships
updated References, Related_Attack_Patterns, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
updated Related_Attack_Patterns, Relationships, Type
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16159 vulnerabilities reference this CWE, most recent first.
GHSA-9QM4-RH6W-PQ5X
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-07-08 20:26 – Updated: 2026-07-08 20:26Overview
A path traversal vulnerability is possible via the COAR Notify / LDN service in DSpace. This vulnerability impacts DSpace versions 8.0 <= 8.3, 9.0 <= 9.2. The attacker MUST already have DSpace administrator credentials in order to perform the attack.
When reading a file input stream of an "inbound pattern" / "template", used to generate an LDN message, the LDN class does not check for path traversal or restrict the templates to a known base path. This could allow an untrusted file from elsewhere in the file system (e.g. an export log, a bitstream path, a temporary file) to be read and interpreted as an Apache Velocity template.
Expected behaviour : Only the trusted templates kept in $dspace.dir/config/ldn should be allowed or used by LDN.
Impact
On its own this seems a fairly low-impact problem: only DSpace Administrators can set LDN template names in services, and you typically need more access to manipulate files on the server.
However, this vulnerability was included as part of an attack chain that demonstrated the ability of a DSpace Administrator to put the malicious Velocity payload in a predictable place (e.g. temporary log file from a running process) and then have that file referenced as the template name in a new service.
This means it is possible (non-trivial, but proven) for an attacker with DSpace administrator credentials to either disclose information via a specially crafted Velocity template, or exploit another weakness in the DSpace Velocity implementation by executing arbitrary java code.
Patches
The fix is included in DSpace 8.4, 9.3 and 10.0. Please upgrade to one of these versions or disable LDN (see below)
If users cannot upgrade immediately, it is possible to manually patch their DSpace backend. (No changes are necessary to the frontend.) A pull request exists which can be used to patch systems running DSpace 8.x or 9.x. * Pull request for 9.x: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/12552 (Downloadable patch file) * This 9.x patch file also resolves a similar path traversal vulnerability in the Curation Task reporter * Pull request for 8.x: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/12540 (Downloadable patch file) * This 8.x patch file also resolves a similar path traversal vulnerability in the Curation Task reporter
Apply the patch to a DSpace
If at all possible, DSpace recommends disabling LDN (see below) or upgrading the user's DSpace site based on the upgrade instructions. However, if users are unable to do so, they can manually apply the above patches to their DSpace backend as follows:
1. Download the appropriate patch file to the machine where DSpace backend is running
2. From the [dspace-src] folder, apply the patch, e.g. git apply [name-of-file].patch
3. Now, update the DSpace site (based loosely on the Upgrade instructions). This generally involves three steps:
1. Rebuild DSpace, e.g. mvn -U clean package (This will recompile all DSpace backend code)
2. Redeploy DSpace, e.g. ant update (This will copy all newly built code to their installation directory). Depending on their setup they also may need to copy the updated "server" webapp over to their Tomcat webapps folder.
3. Restart Tomcat (or runnable JAR)
Workarounds
- In
dspace.cfgorlocal.cfg, disable LDN (setldn.enabled=false) if it is not crucial to the operation of the repository. (NOTE: LDN is disabled by default, so many DSpace sites may not use this feature) - Once users have patched their site or upgraded, they may safely enable LDN again.
Credits
Discovered & reported by Pablo Picurelli Ortiz (@superpegaso2703), cybersecurity student at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Code fix developed by Kim Shepherd (@kshepherd) of The Library Code
{
"affected": [
{
"database_specific": {
"last_known_affected_version_range": "\u003c= 8.3"
},
"package": {
"ecosystem": "Maven",
"name": "org.dspace:dspace-api"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "8.0-rc1"
},
{
"fixed": "8.4"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
},
{
"database_specific": {
"last_known_affected_version_range": "\u003c= 9.2"
},
"package": {
"ecosystem": "Maven",
"name": "org.dspace:dspace-api"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "9.0-rc1"
},
{
"fixed": "9.3"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
},
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "Maven",
"name": "org.dspace:dspace-api"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "10.0-rc1"
},
{
"fixed": "10.0"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
],
"versions": [
"10.0-rc1"
]
}
],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-49833"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2026-07-08T20:26:15Z",
"nvd_published_at": null,
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "## Overview\n\nA path traversal vulnerability is possible via the [COAR Notify / LDN](https://wiki.lyrasis.org/spaces/DSDOC9x/pages/379126679/COAR+Notify) service in DSpace. _This vulnerability impacts DSpace versions 8.0 \u003c= 8.3, 9.0 \u003c= 9.2._ The attacker MUST already have DSpace administrator credentials in order to perform the attack.\n\nWhen reading a file input stream of an \"inbound pattern\" / \"template\", used to generate an LDN message, the LDN class does not check for path traversal or restrict the templates to a known base path. This could allow an untrusted file from elsewhere in the file system (e.g. an export log, a bitstream path, a temporary file) to be read and interpreted as an Apache Velocity template.\n\nExpected behaviour : Only the trusted templates kept in `$dspace.dir/config/ldn` should be allowed or used by LDN.\n\n## Impact\n\nOn its own this seems a fairly low-impact problem: only DSpace Administrators can set LDN template names in services, and you typically need more access to manipulate files on the server.\n\nHowever, this vulnerability was included as part of an attack chain that demonstrated the ability of a DSpace Administrator to put the malicious Velocity payload in a predictable place (e.g. temporary log file from a running process) and then have that file referenced as the template name in a new service.\n \nThis means it is possible (non-trivial, but proven) for an attacker with DSpace administrator credentials to either disclose information via a specially crafted Velocity template, or exploit another weakness in the DSpace Velocity implementation by executing arbitrary java code.\n\n\n## Patches\n\nThe fix is included in DSpace 8.4, 9.3 and 10.0. Please upgrade to one of these versions or disable LDN (see below)\n\nIf users cannot upgrade immediately, it is possible to manually patch their DSpace backend. (No changes are necessary to the frontend.) A pull request exists which can be used to patch systems running DSpace 8.x or 9.x. \n* Pull request for 9.x: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/12552 ([Downloadable patch file](https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/12552.patch))\n * This 9.x patch file also resolves a similar [path traversal vulnerability in the Curation Task reporter](https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/security/advisories/GHSA-v66x-68f2-pxf5)\n* Pull request for 8.x: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/12540 ([Downloadable patch file](https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/12540.patch))\n * This 8.x patch file also resolves a similar [path traversal vulnerability in the Curation Task reporter](https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/security/advisories/GHSA-v66x-68f2-pxf5)\n\n### Apply the patch to a DSpace\nIf at all possible, DSpace recommends disabling LDN (see below) or upgrading the user\u0027s DSpace site based on the upgrade instructions. However, if users are unable to do so, they can manually apply the above patches to their DSpace backend as follows:\n1. Download the appropriate patch file to the machine where DSpace backend is running\n2. From the `[dspace-src]` folder, apply the patch, e.g. `git apply [name-of-file].patch`\n3. Now, update the DSpace site (based loosely on the Upgrade instructions). This generally involves three steps:\n 1. Rebuild DSpace, e.g. `mvn -U clean package` (This will recompile all DSpace backend code)\n 2. Redeploy DSpace, e.g. `ant update` (This will copy all newly built code to their installation directory). Depending on their setup they also may need to copy the updated \"server\" webapp over to their Tomcat webapps folder.\n 3. Restart Tomcat (or runnable JAR)\n\n## Workarounds\n* In `dspace.cfg` or `local.cfg`, disable LDN (set `ldn.enabled=false`) if it is not crucial to the operation of the repository. (NOTE: LDN is disabled by default, so many DSpace sites may not use this feature)\n* Once users have patched their site or upgraded, they may safely enable LDN again.\n\n## Credits\nDiscovered \u0026 reported by Pablo Picurelli Ortiz (@superpegaso2703), cybersecurity student at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.\nCode fix developed by Kim Shepherd (@kshepherd) of The Library Code",
"id": "GHSA-9qm4-rh6w-pq5x",
"modified": "2026-07-08T20:26:15Z",
"published": "2026-07-08T20:26:15Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/security/advisories/GHSA-9qm4-rh6w-pq5x"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/pull/12540"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "DSpace: Path Traversal is possible through LDN message generation"
}
GHSA-9QMQ-F7GC-GF44
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2024-08-06 18:30 – Updated: 2024-08-07 21:31GL-iNet products AR750/AR750S/AR300M/AR300M16/MT300N-V2/B1300/MT1300/SFT1200/X750 v4.3.11, MT3000/MT2500/AXT1800/AX1800/A1300/X300B v4.5.16, XE300 v4.3.16, E750 v4.3.12, AP1300/S1300 v4.3.13, and XE3000/X3000 v4.4 were discovered to contain insecure permissions in the endpoint /cgi-bin/glc. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code or possibly a directory traversal via crafted JSON data.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2024-39226"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22",
"CWE-77"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2024-08-06T16:15:48Z",
"severity": "CRITICAL"
},
"details": "GL-iNet products AR750/AR750S/AR300M/AR300M16/MT300N-V2/B1300/MT1300/SFT1200/X750 v4.3.11, MT3000/MT2500/AXT1800/AX1800/A1300/X300B v4.5.16, XE300 v4.3.16, E750 v4.3.12, AP1300/S1300 v4.3.13, and XE3000/X3000 v4.4 were discovered to contain insecure permissions in the endpoint /cgi-bin/glc. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code or possibly a directory traversal via crafted JSON data.",
"id": "GHSA-9qmq-f7gc-gf44",
"modified": "2024-08-07T21:31:44Z",
"published": "2024-08-06T18:30:56Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-39226"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/gl-inet/CVE-issues/blob/main/4.0.0/s2s%20interface%20shell%20injection.md"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://ar750ar750sar300mar300m16mt300n-v2b1300mt1300sft1200x750.com"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-9QPX-HW6Q-QW9H
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-01-21 00:00 – Updated: 2022-03-18 00:01PJL directory traversal vulnerability in Lexmark devices through 2021-12-07 that can be leveraged to overwrite internal configuration files.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2021-44737"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2022-01-20T17:15:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "PJL directory traversal vulnerability in Lexmark devices through 2021-12-07 that can be leveraged to overwrite internal configuration files.",
"id": "GHSA-9qpx-hw6q-qw9h",
"modified": "2022-03-18T00:01:39Z",
"published": "2022-01-21T00:00:44Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-44737"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://support.lexmark.com/alerts"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-22-333"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-9QRJ-W7FW-96WJ
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-17 00:42 – Updated: 2022-05-17 00:42Directory traversal vulnerability in rss.php in WebSVN 2.0 and earlier, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via directory traversal sequences in the rev parameter.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2008-5919"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2009-01-21T02:30:00Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Directory traversal vulnerability in rss.php in WebSVN 2.0 and earlier, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via directory traversal sequences in the rev parameter.",
"id": "GHSA-9qrj-w7fw-96wj",
"modified": "2022-05-17T00:42:26Z",
"published": "2022-05-17T00:42:26Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-5919"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/46050"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/6822"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://secunia.com/advisories/32338"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://secunia.com/advisories/34191"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://securityreason.com/securityalert/4928"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://websvn.tigris.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=179"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://websvn.tigris.org/servlets/NewsItemView?newsItemID=2218"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200903-20.xml"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.gulftech.org/?node=research\u0026article_id=00132-10202008"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/31891"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-9QRP-H7FW-42HG
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-06-01 19:56 – Updated: 2022-06-01 19:56Impact
One can ask for any file located in the classloader using the template API and a path with ".." in it. For example
{{template name="../xwiki.hbm.xml"/}}
To our knownledge none of the available files of the classloader in XWiki Standard contain any strong confidential data, hence the low confidentiality value of this advisory.
Patches
The issue is patched in versions 14.0 and 13.10.3.
Workarounds
There's no easy workaround for this issue, administrators should upgrade their wiki.
References
- https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-19349
- https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/4917c8f355717bb636d763844528b1fe0f95e8e2
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue in Jira XWiki * Email us at security mailing list
{
"affected": [
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "Maven",
"name": "org.xwiki.platform:xwiki-platform-oldcore"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "8.3-rc-1"
},
{
"fixed": "13.10.3"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2022-29253"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22",
"CWE-24"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2022-06-01T19:56:34Z",
"nvd_published_at": "2022-05-25T21:15:00Z",
"severity": "LOW"
},
"details": "### Impact\n\nOne can ask for any file located in the classloader using the template API and a path with \"..\" in it. For example \n\n```\n{{template name=\"../xwiki.hbm.xml\"/}}\n```\n\nTo our knownledge none of the available files of the classloader in XWiki Standard contain any strong confidential data, hence the low confidentiality value of this advisory.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe issue is patched in versions 14.0 and 13.10.3.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nThere\u0027s no easy workaround for this issue, administrators should upgrade their wiki.\n\n### References\n\n * https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-19349\n * https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/4917c8f355717bb636d763844528b1fe0f95e8e2\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n* Open an issue in [Jira XWiki](https://jira.xwiki.org)\n* Email us at [security mailing list](mailto:security@xwiki.org)",
"id": "GHSA-9qrp-h7fw-42hg",
"modified": "2022-06-01T19:56:34Z",
"published": "2022-06-01T19:56:34Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/security/advisories/GHSA-9qrp-h7fw-42hg"
},
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-29253"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform/commit/4917c8f355717bb636d763844528b1fe0f95e8e2"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/xwiki/xwiki-platform"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XWIKI-19349"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "Path Traversal in XWiki Platform"
}
GHSA-9QW4-VHJ6-M3PQ
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-04-26 12:31 – Updated: 2026-04-26 12:31A vulnerability was identified in Tenda i9 1.0.0.5(2204). This vulnerability affects the function R7WebsSecurityHandlerfunction of the component HTTP Handler. The manipulation leads to path traversal. Remote exploitation of the attack is possible. The exploit is publicly available and might be used.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-7036"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-04-26T12:16:22Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "A vulnerability was identified in Tenda i9 1.0.0.5(2204). This vulnerability affects the function R7WebsSecurityHandlerfunction of the component HTTP Handler. The manipulation leads to path traversal. Remote exploitation of the attack is possible. The exploit is publicly available and might be used.",
"id": "GHSA-9qw4-vhj6-m3pq",
"modified": "2026-04-26T12:31:37Z",
"published": "2026-04-26T12:31:37Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-7036"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/Litengzheng/vuldb_new/blob/main/M3/vul_80/README.md"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://vuldb.com/submit/798479"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://vuldb.com/vuln/359616"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://vuldb.com/vuln/359616/cti"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.tenda.com.cn"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
},
{
"score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
"type": "CVSS_V4"
}
]
}
GHSA-9QW7-J9XW-FV9C
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-11-09 19:53 – Updated: 2026-11-09 19:53Summary
git.checkout writes working-tree files through a directory symlink without checking the leading path, so a malicious repository can write outside the intended working directory. The defect is in isomorphic-git's checkout logic itself and is therefore independent of the fs provider. The impact depends on the configured filesystem; worst case is arbitrary file write on the host, e.g. injecting an attacker key into ~/.ssh/authorized_keys → remote login / code execution.
Details
A single git tree can't hold a name as both a symlink and a directory, so the attack uses two states:
Commit N: config (mode 120000, symlink → ../.ssh)
Commit N+1: config/ (mode 040000, tree)
authorized_keys (mode 100644, attacker public key)
Checking out commit N writes config as a directory symlink. Checking out commit N+1 sees config/authorized_keys as a new path: isomorphic-git mkdirs the parent (config, already a symlink → EEXIST, ignored) then writeFiles the file, which the OS resolves through the symlink to outside the working directory. A file-level symlink swap is caught (the 120000→100644 mode change triggers an rm), but the directory-level variant is not — the payload is always a new child path, a plain create, so the parent symlink is never removed.
The symlink target is attacker-chosen. Besides ~/.ssh, pointing it at the repo's own control directory — hooks → .git/hooks then hooks/pre-commit, or x → .git then overwriting .git/config (core.hooksPath / alias / core.fsmonitor) — yields RCE on the next native git command without depending on ~/.ssh existing, since .git/ is always present in a fresh clone.
Canonical git behavior (divergence)
git refuses to do this: has_symlink_leading_path() (symlinks.c) checks each leading path component during checkout and will not follow a symlink — the hardening behind CVE-2021-21300 and CVE-2024-32002. isomorphic-git has no equivalent check.
PoC
https://github.com/spiceoverflow/av1-symlink-hook-rce — open in a Codespace; it builds the malicious repo, serves it locally, and runs a victim. Output on Linux:
[AV-1] Directory symlink on disk: …/config → ../.ssh (→ /home/node/.ssh)
[AV-1] *** SSH KEY INJECTION CONFIRMED ***
Trigger: minimal realistic path is clone (commit N) + a later pull (commit N+1) — ordinary sync of an already-trusted repo. It also collapses to a single clone when the consuming app reads or writes into the cloned tree, or when a symlink already exists on disk.
Impact
isomorphic-git is filesystem-agnostic, so exploitability and blast radius depend on the active fs provider — specifically whether it creates a symlink and follows it on a later write:
- Node
fson Linux/macOS (servers, CI, CLIs, Electron/desktop tooling — the common server-side use): real OS symlinks → the write lands anywhere the process can reach → arbitrary file write on the host → RCE (the PoC above). Highest impact. - Node
fson Windows:fs.symlinktypically requires privilege and throwsEPERM, so the symlink-plant step usually fails — not exploitable by default. (A property of the OS/provider, not of isomorphic-git.) - In-memory / browser providers (memfs, ZenFS, lightning-fs, custom
fs): there is no host filesystem to escape to, so the worst case is writing outside the intended clone directory but within that virtual filesystem — i.e. corrupting other repos/app data the same provider holds. Bounded by the sandbox, and only if the provider implements symlink creation + following.
The CVSS above reflects the worst-case (Node fs on a POSIX host). Browser/in-memory-only deployments are lower severity (sandboxed integrity impact).
Suggested fix
Before each working-tree write, lstat every leading path component and refuse to traverse a
symlink (mirrors git's has_symlink_leading_path()); optionally honor core.symlinks=false.
{
"affected": [
{
"database_specific": {
"last_known_affected_version_range": "\u003c= 1.38.5"
},
"package": {
"ecosystem": "npm",
"name": "isomorphic-git"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "1.38.6"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-63395"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22",
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2026-11-09T19:53:44Z",
"nvd_published_at": "2026-11-03T20:18:14Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "### Summary\n`git.checkout` writes working-tree files through a directory **symlink** without checking the leading path, so a malicious repository can write **outside the intended working directory**. The defect is in isomorphic-git\u0027s checkout logic itself and is therefore **independent of the `fs` provider**. The *impact* depends on the configured filesystem; worst case is arbitrary file write on the host, e.g. injecting an attacker key into `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` \u2192 remote login / code execution.\n\n### Details\nA single git tree can\u0027t hold a name as both a symlink and a directory, so the attack uses two states:\n\n```\nCommit N: config (mode 120000, symlink \u2192 ../.ssh)\nCommit N+1: config/ (mode 040000, tree)\n authorized_keys (mode 100644, attacker public key)\n```\n\nChecking out commit N writes `config` as a directory symlink. Checking out commit N+1 sees `config/authorized_keys` as a new path: isomorphic-git `mkdir`s the parent (`config`, already a symlink \u2192 `EEXIST`, ignored) then `writeFile`s the file, which the OS resolves through the symlink to outside the working directory. A *file*-level symlink swap is caught (the `120000`\u2192`100644` mode change triggers an `rm`), but the **directory**-level variant is not \u2014 the payload is always a new child path, a plain `create`, so the parent symlink is never removed.\n\nThe symlink target is attacker-chosen. Besides `~/.ssh`, pointing it at the repo\u0027s own control directory \u2014 `hooks \u2192 .git/hooks` then `hooks/pre-commit`, or `x \u2192 .git` then overwriting `.git/config` (`core.hooksPath` / alias / `core.fsmonitor`) \u2014 yields RCE on the next native `git` command **without** depending on `~/.ssh` existing, since `.git/` is always present in a fresh clone.\n\n#### Canonical git behavior (divergence)\ngit refuses to do this: `has_symlink_leading_path()` (symlinks.c) checks each leading path component during checkout and will not follow a symlink \u2014 the hardening behind CVE-2021-21300 and CVE-2024-32002. isomorphic-git has no equivalent check.\n\n### PoC\n`https://github.com/spiceoverflow/av1-symlink-hook-rce` \u2014 open in a Codespace; it builds the malicious repo, serves it locally, and runs a victim. Output on Linux:\n\n```\n[AV-1] Directory symlink on disk: \u2026/config \u2192 ../.ssh (\u2192 /home/node/.ssh)\n[AV-1] *** SSH KEY INJECTION CONFIRMED ***\n```\n\n**Trigger:** minimal realistic path is `clone` (commit N) + a later `pull` (commit N+1) \u2014 ordinary sync of an already-trusted repo. It also collapses to a single `clone` when the consuming app reads or writes into the cloned tree, or when a symlink already exists on disk.\n\n\n### Impact\n\nisomorphic-git is filesystem-agnostic, so exploitability and blast radius depend on the active `fs` provider \u2014 specifically whether it creates a symlink and follows it on a later write:\n\n- **Node `fs` on Linux/macOS** (servers, CI, CLIs, Electron/desktop tooling \u2014 the common server-side use): real OS symlinks \u2192 the write lands anywhere the process can reach \u2192 **arbitrary file write on the host \u2192 RCE** (the PoC above). Highest impact.\n- **Node `fs` on Windows:** `fs.symlink` typically requires privilege and throws `EPERM`, so the symlink-plant step usually fails \u2014 not exploitable by default. (A property of the OS/provider, not of isomorphic-git.)\n- **In-memory / browser providers** (memfs, ZenFS, lightning-fs, custom `fs`): there is no host filesystem to escape to, so the worst case is writing **outside the intended clone directory but within that virtual filesystem** \u2014 i.e. corrupting other repos/app data the same provider holds. Bounded by the sandbox, and only if the provider implements symlink creation + following.\n\nThe CVSS above reflects the worst-case (Node `fs` on a POSIX host). Browser/in-memory-only deployments are lower severity (sandboxed integrity impact).\n\n### Suggested fix\nBefore each working-tree write, `lstat` every leading path component and refuse to traverse a\nsymlink (mirrors git\u0027s `has_symlink_leading_path()`); optionally honor `core.symlinks=false`.",
"id": "GHSA-9qw7-j9xw-fv9c",
"modified": "2026-11-09T19:53:44Z",
"published": "2026-11-09T19:53:44Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/isomorphic-git/isomorphic-git/security/advisories/GHSA-9qw7-j9xw-fv9c"
},
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63395"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/isomorphic-git/isomorphic-git/pull/2370"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/isomorphic-git/isomorphic-git/commit/823843d1cd19182df79bc907c767f5bcecb39a0b"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/isomorphic-git/isomorphic-git"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/isomorphic-git/isomorphic-git/releases/tag/v1.38.6"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "isomorphic-git: Arbitrary file write outside of working tree via directory symlink during checkout (potential RCE)"
}
GHSA-9QX3-MPQF-XHQ8
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-17 03:50 – Updated: 2022-05-17 03:50Directory traversal vulnerability in the ReportViewServlet servlet in the server in NetIQ Sentinel 7.4.x before 7.4.2 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a PREVIEW value for the fileType field.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2016-1605"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2016-08-01T02:59:00Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Directory traversal vulnerability in the ReportViewServlet servlet in the server in NetIQ Sentinel 7.4.x before 7.4.2 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a PREVIEW value for the fileType field.",
"id": "GHSA-9qx3-mpqf-xhq8",
"modified": "2022-05-17T03:50:59Z",
"published": "2022-05-17T03:50:59Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-1605"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.netiq.com/support/kb/doc.php?id=7017803"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-16-406"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-9QXH-6993-386R
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-02 06:13 – Updated: 2022-05-02 06:13Directory traversal vulnerability in AFP Server in Apple Mac OS X before 10.6.3 allows remote attackers to list a share root's parent directory, and read and modify files in that directory, via unspecified vectors.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2010-0533"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2010-03-30T17:30:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Directory traversal vulnerability in AFP Server in Apple Mac OS X before 10.6.3 allows remote attackers to list a share root\u0027s parent directory, and read and modify files in that directory, via unspecified vectors.",
"id": "GHSA-9qxh-6993-386r",
"modified": "2022-05-02T06:13:30Z",
"published": "2022-05-02T06:13:30Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-0533"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2010//Mar/msg00001.html"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4077"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-9R2V-HQ4W-8PC6
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-03-25 09:32 – Updated: 2025-03-25 09:32A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in zhijiantianya ruoyi-vue-pro 2.4.1. Affected is an unknown function of the file /admin-api/mp/material/upload-news-image of the component Material Upload Interface. The manipulation of the argument File leads to path traversal. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-2744"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-22"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-03-25T07:15:39Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in zhijiantianya ruoyi-vue-pro 2.4.1. Affected is an unknown function of the file /admin-api/mp/material/upload-news-image of the component Material Upload Interface. The manipulation of the argument File leads to path traversal. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.",
"id": "GHSA-9r2v-hq4w-8pc6",
"modified": "2025-03-25T09:32:06Z",
"published": "2025-03-25T09:32:06Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-2744"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/uglory-gll/javasec/blob/main/ruoyi-vue-pro.md#7arbitrary-file-deletion-vulnerability---uploadnewsimage"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.300846"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://vuldb.com/?id.300846"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://vuldb.com/?submit.519694"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
},
{
"score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
"type": "CVSS_V4"
}
]
}
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.