CVE-2002-0710 in Sendform
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in sendform.cgi 1.44 and earlier allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files by specifying the desired files in the BlurbFilePath parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0710 represents a critical directory traversal flaw in the sendform.cgi script version 1.44 and earlier. This vulnerability resides within web applications that process user input through CGI scripts, specifically targeting the BlurbFilePath parameter which handles file path specifications. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter or escape user-supplied data before using it in file system operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input that includes directory traversal sequences such as "../" or "..\..\" to navigate outside the intended directory structure and access restricted files on the server. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. This weakness allows adversaries to bypass access controls and retrieve sensitive information from the web server's file system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables remote attackers to access arbitrary files on the target system without authentication. This includes sensitive configuration files, database files, application source code, and potentially system files that should remain protected. The attack can be executed entirely through HTTP requests, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no local system access or privileges. An attacker could potentially retrieve passwords, encryption keys, database credentials, or other confidential information that might be stored in files accessible through the web server. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in input handling and access control implementation, where user-controllable parameters are directly used in file system operations without proper validation or sanitization. This creates a pathway for attackers to escalate their access and potentially compromise the entire web application or underlying system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-0710 should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization measures. The primary defense involves ensuring that all user-supplied input is properly validated before being used in file system operations. This includes implementing strict whitelisting of acceptable file paths, removing or encoding special characters such as "../", and implementing proper path normalization techniques. Organizations should immediately upgrade to sendform.cgi versions 1.45 or later, as this vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases through improved input validation mechanisms. Network security controls such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by detecting and blocking suspicious path traversal patterns in incoming requests. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls ensures that web applications run with minimal necessary permissions, limiting the potential damage from successful exploitation. Additionally, regular security auditing and code review processes should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and scripts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, as attackers can leverage path traversal to obtain sensitive information that may lead to further system compromise. Organizations should also implement comprehensive monitoring and logging of file system access patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling such security incidents.