CVE-2000-0652 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere allows remote attackers to read source code for executable web files by directly calling the default InvokerServlet using a URL which contains the "/servlet/file" string.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2000-0652 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within IBM WebSphere Application Server versions prior to 4.0.2. This security weakness allows remote attackers to directly access and retrieve source code files of web applications by exploiting the default InvokerServlet configuration. The vulnerability specifically manifests when attackers construct malicious URLs containing the "/servlet/file" string pattern, enabling them to bypass normal application security controls and directly access sensitive source code files that should remain protected from public viewing.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper access controls within the InvokerServlet component of IBM WebSphere. The InvokerServlet serves as a default servlet that handles requests for servlets within the application server, but in affected versions it fails to properly validate or restrict access to file system resources. When a request is made using the specific URL pattern containing "/servlet/file", the servlet interprets this as a directive to retrieve and return the contents of files from the server's file system. This flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate input validation mechanisms that should prevent arbitrary file access operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposure of source code files can reveal sensitive implementation details including database connection strings, authentication mechanisms, business logic, and potentially exploitable code patterns. Attackers can leverage this information to craft more sophisticated attacks against the application, potentially leading to full system compromise through additional vulnerabilities discovered in the source code. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity aspects of the CIA security triad, as it allows unauthorized access to application source code that typically should only be accessible to authorized developers and system administrators.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 (Improper Limiting of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory) and CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data) categories, representing both path traversal issues and potential deserialization risks within the servlet processing chain. From an attacker perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1213.002 (Data from Information Repositories) and T1566.001 (Phishing with Spoofed Delivery) as it enables attackers to gather intelligence for more targeted attacks. Organizations running affected IBM WebSphere versions face significant risk of exposure to competitive intelligence theft and potential system compromise through the exploitation of this vulnerability.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves applying the official IBM WebSphere patch release 4.0.2 or later, which addresses the access control weakness in the InvokerServlet component. Additionally, system administrators should disable the InvokerServlet if it is not required for application functionality, implement proper input validation for all servlet requests, and conduct comprehensive security reviews of all web application components. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict direct access to servlet endpoints, while regular security assessments should be performed to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other application server components. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper security configuration management in enterprise application servers.