CVE-2003-0802 in Electronic Documentation
Summary
by MITRE
Nokia Electronic Documentation (NED) 5.0 allows remote attackers to obtain a directory listing of the WebLogic web root, and the physical path of the NED server, via a "retrieve" action with a location parameter of . (dot).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0802 affects Nokia Electronic Documentation version 5.0, a web-based documentation system that integrates with WebLogic application server. This flaw represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that enables remote attackers to gain unauthorized visibility into the server's file system structure and underlying directory hierarchy. The vulnerability specifically manifests through the retrieve action functionality within the NED application, which processes location parameters to serve documentation content. When an attacker submits a location parameter consisting of a single dot character, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize this input, leading to unintended directory traversal behavior.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a simple HTTP request that leverages the dot character as a location parameter in the retrieve action. This input passes through the application's processing pipeline without adequate validation, allowing the WebLogic server to interpret the dot as a reference to the current working directory. As a result, the application returns directory listings of the web root and exposes the physical path of the NED server installation. This behavior directly violates secure coding principles and demonstrates a classic directory traversal vulnerability pattern that has been documented in numerous security frameworks including CWE-22 which categorizes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with crucial reconnaissance data that can facilitate further exploitation attempts. The exposed directory listings reveal the file structure of the WebLogic server, potentially exposing sensitive application components, configuration files, and other system artifacts that could aid in crafting more sophisticated attacks. The physical path disclosure creates additional attack surface by revealing the server's installation hierarchy, which may contain clues about the system's operating environment, software versions, and potential weak points in the architecture. This information can be leveraged to plan targeted attacks against the WebLogic server or the NED application itself, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such information could be used to bypass security controls or escalate privileges.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 which covers directory and file system discovery, and represents a fundamental flaw in input validation that could be classified under CWE-352 for Cross-Site Request Forgery or CWE-23 for Relative Path Traversal. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper input sanitization and access controls within web applications, particularly those running on enterprise application servers like WebLogic. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including input validation for location parameters, restriction of directory traversal capabilities, and implementation of proper access controls that prevent unauthorized directory enumeration. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify and remediate similar flaws in legacy applications that may not have been designed with modern security practices in mind.