CVE-2001-0842 in LB5000
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in Search.cgi in Leoboard LB5000 LB5000II 1029 and earlier allows remote attackers to overwrite files and gain privileges via .. (dot dot) sequences in the amembernamecookie cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2001-0842 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the search.cgi component of Leoboard LB5000 and LB5000II versions 1029 and earlier. This directory traversal vulnerability specifically affects the handling of the amembernamecookie parameter within the web application's cookie management system. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate file paths through the use of dot-dot-sequence characters that are commonly used to navigate up directory levels in file systems. This particular implementation weakness enables attackers to bypass normal access controls and directly target system files that should remain protected from external modification. The vulnerability exists at the application level where user-supplied input from cookies is not properly sanitized or validated before being processed in file system operations. This represents a fundamental failure in input validation and access control mechanisms that directly violates established security principles for web application development.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the amembernamecookie parameter within HTTP cookies sent by web browsers to the vulnerable server. When attackers include directory traversal sequences such as "../" within this cookie value, the application processes these sequences without proper sanitization, allowing the attacker to specify arbitrary file paths that can result in file overwrites or privilege escalation. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of user input in the cookie handling code, where the application fails to properly canonicalize or sanitize the cookie values before using them in file system operations. This flaw directly maps to CWE-22 which defines improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal. The vulnerability allows attackers to traverse the file system hierarchy and potentially access or modify critical system files, configuration files, or other sensitive resources that should be protected from unauthorized access. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no local access or authentication, making it a remote code execution or privilege escalation vulnerability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file access restrictions, potentially enabling full system compromise through privilege escalation and unauthorized file modifications. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to overwrite critical system files, inject malicious code into the web application, or gain elevated privileges within the system. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the affected system, as unauthorized modifications to system files can lead to complete system compromise. The implications for organizations using these vulnerable versions of Leoboard include potential data breaches, system availability issues, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to web application security and can be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise, as the attack requires only basic knowledge of directory traversal techniques. The attack can result in persistent backdoors, data corruption, or complete system takeover, depending on the privileges of the web application process and the nature of files targeted by the attack. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor input validation practices that violate security standards such as those recommended in the OWASP Top Ten and other industry best practices for secure coding.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the affected software versions, implementation of proper input validation and sanitization for all cookie parameters, and deployment of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious directory traversal attempts. Organizations should implement proper access controls and privilege separation to limit the impact of any successful exploitation attempts. The fix should involve sanitizing all user-supplied input from cookies before processing, implementing proper path canonicalization, and ensuring that file system operations are restricted to predefined safe directories. Security measures should include regular security assessments of web applications, implementation of proper input validation frameworks, and adherence to secure coding practices that prevent directory traversal vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing proper security monitoring to detect and respond to exploitation attempts. Organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as output encoding, proper error handling, and regular security audits to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other applications. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and access control in web application security, particularly in environments where user-supplied data is processed without proper sanitization.