CVE-2002-0446 in Black Tie Project
Summary
by MITRE
categorie.php3 in Black Tie Project (BTP) 0.4b through 0.5b allows remote attackers to determine the absolute path of the web server via an invalid category ID (cid) parameter, which leaks the pathname in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-0446 affects the Black Tie Project version 0.4b through 0.5b where the categorie.php3 script fails to properly validate user input parameters. This flaw manifests when an attacker supplies an invalid category ID (cid) parameter to the application, causing the system to generate an error message that inadvertently reveals the absolute path of the web server filesystem. The vulnerability represents a classic information disclosure issue that can provide attackers with critical system information needed for further exploitation attempts.
This security weakness falls under the category of information exposure through error messages, which aligns with CWE-209 - Information Exposure Through an Error Message and CWE-470 - Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code. The vulnerability stems from the application's poor error handling practices where it does not sanitize or validate the cid parameter before processing it, allowing malicious input to trigger internal system error messages that contain sensitive path information. The flaw demonstrates a lack of proper input validation and error management that violates fundamental security principles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure as it provides attackers with the absolute path of the web server installation, which can serve as a crucial piece of intelligence for subsequent attacks. This information can be leveraged to craft more targeted exploits, understand the system architecture, or identify potential attack vectors such as directory traversal possibilities. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication or special privileges to exploit, making it accessible to any remote attacker with basic network connectivity to the affected web server.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to reconnaissance and initial access phases. The ability to discover system paths represents a reconnaissance activity that can be used to gather intelligence for more sophisticated attacks. Attackers can use this information to plan directory traversal attacks, identify system vulnerabilities, or craft more effective payload delivery mechanisms. The vulnerability also represents a primitive form of attack surface reduction that can be exploited to bypass security controls that depend on path obfuscation.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability include implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all user-supplied parameters, including the cid parameter in this case. The application should validate the cid parameter against a predefined set of acceptable values or implement proper error handling that does not expose internal system information. Additionally, the system should be configured to suppress detailed error messages from being displayed to end users, instead showing generic error messages that do not reveal system paths or internal structures. Security patches should be applied immediately to update to versions that address this specific flaw, and the application should be reviewed for similar input validation issues that may exist in other components of the system.