CVE-2002-0775 in Hosting Controller
Summary
by MITRE
browse.asp in Hosting Controller allows remote attackers to view arbitrary directories by specifying the target pathname in the FilePath parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0775 affects the Hosting Controller web application and specifically targets the browse.asp component. This flaw represents a classic directory traversal vulnerability that enables remote attackers to access arbitrary directories on the server filesystem through manipulation of the FilePath parameter. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the application's file browsing functionality, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to sensitive system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the Hosting Controller application processes user-supplied input through the FilePath parameter in the browse.asp script. Without proper validation or sanitization measures, malicious actors can inject directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ to navigate beyond the intended directory boundaries. This allows attackers to access files and directories that should remain protected, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files, user data, or system resources that are not meant to be publicly accessible through the web interface.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant security risks to organizations utilizing Hosting Controller for web hosting management. Attackers could leverage this weakness to access critical system information, potentially leading to further exploitation opportunities including privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or system compromise. The vulnerability essentially undermines the fundamental security boundary of the application, allowing unauthorized access to files that should be restricted to authorized users only. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in hosting environments where multiple customers share the same infrastructure, as it could enable cross-contamination of data between different hosting accounts.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as directory traversal or path traversal attacks. This weakness falls under the broader category of input validation failures and represents a well-documented attack vector that has been consistently exploited across various web applications over many years. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique under the T1078 category, specifically targeting the use of valid accounts to access resources that should be restricted. Organizations should implement proper input validation, canonicalize all user-supplied input, and enforce strict access controls to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited. The remediation approach should include implementing proper parameter validation, using secure coding practices, and ensuring that all file access operations are properly sandboxed within designated directories.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and highlights how seemingly simple functionality can create significant security risks when proper safeguards are not implemented. The impact extends beyond immediate data exposure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks, making it essential for organizations to conduct regular security assessments and maintain up-to-date security patches for their hosting infrastructure.