CVE-2002-2154 in HTTP Daemon
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in Monkey HTTP Daemon 0.1.4 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via .. (dot dot) sequences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/29/2025
The CVE-2002-2154 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw in the Monkey HTTP Daemon version 0.1.4, a lightweight web server implementation that was widely used in embedded systems and resource-constrained environments during the early 2000s. This 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. The flaw manifests when the web server fails to properly validate or sanitize file paths received from client requests, allowing malicious actors to manipulate directory navigation sequences and access files outside the intended web root directory.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of URL paths using the .. (dot dot) sequence, which is a standard method for traversing directory hierarchies in Unix-like and Windows operating systems. When an attacker submits a request containing sequences such as ../../../etc/passwd or ../../../windows/system32/drivers/etc/hosts, the vulnerable Monkey HTTP Daemon fails to properly process these path components, resulting in the server serving files from arbitrary locations on the filesystem. This occurs because the application does not adequately normalize or validate the requested file paths, allowing the traversal characters to be interpreted literally rather than being neutralized or rejected by the application's security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can lead to complete system compromise when attackers gain access to sensitive system files, configuration data, and potentially execute malicious code through the exposure of system resources. In the context of the ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing with Malicious Attachments) where attackers can leverage the exposure of system files to gather intelligence about the target environment or establish persistence. The vulnerability particularly affects systems where the web server is configured with elevated privileges or where sensitive files are stored in predictable locations relative to the web root, making it a prime target for reconnaissance and further exploitation activities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-2154 should focus on immediate patching of the Monkey HTTP Daemon to version 0.1.5 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to properly validate and sanitize file paths. Organizations should also implement proper input validation at the application level, ensuring that all user-supplied path data is normalized and checked against a whitelist of acceptable directories. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense in depth, while system administrators should conduct thorough audits of web server configurations to ensure that the server is not running with unnecessary privileges and that sensitive files are properly secured. The vulnerability serves as a classic example of why proper input validation and secure coding practices are essential in web application development, particularly in the context of early 2000s web server implementations that often lacked comprehensive security controls.