CVE-2004-2190 in Unzoo
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in Unzoo 4.4-2 has unknown impact and attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2019
The directory traversal vulnerability in Unzoo 4.4-2 represents a critical security flaw that allows attackers to access files and directories outside the intended scope of the application. This vulnerability falls under the category of path traversal attacks where malicious users can manipulate file paths to gain unauthorized access to system resources. The vulnerability specifically affects the Unzoo archive extraction utility which is designed to handle compressed files and extract their contents to specified directories. When processing archive files, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize file paths, allowing attackers to craft malicious archive entries that can traverse directories beyond the intended extraction location.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the archive processing logic. Unzoo 4.4-2 does not properly filter or sanitize file paths contained within archive files, particularly those that contain sequences such as "../" or similar directory traversal patterns. This flaw enables attackers to specify arbitrary file paths during the extraction process, potentially leading to overwriting of critical system files, reading of sensitive data from unauthorized locations, or execution of arbitrary code through manipulation of the extraction environment. The vulnerability is classified as a path traversal issue that aligns with CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory. The flaw represents a fundamental failure in input sanitization and path resolution within the application's file handling mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access to potentially compromise entire system integrity. Attackers could leverage this weakness to extract files to system directories, overwrite critical binaries, or gain access to sensitive configuration files that may contain authentication credentials or system secrets. The attack vectors remain unspecified in the CVE description, but typically involve crafting specially formatted archive files containing malicious path references that bypass the application's intended security boundaries. This vulnerability could be exploited in various scenarios including web-based file upload attacks, where users upload archives that are subsequently processed by Unzoo, or through direct manipulation of archive files in server environments. The unspecified impact suggests that the consequences could range from information disclosure to complete system compromise depending on the execution context and privileges available to the vulnerable application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and sanitization within the archive processing pipeline. System administrators should immediately update to a patched version of Unzoo or implement strict file path validation that prevents traversal sequences from being processed. The recommended approach involves filtering out directory traversal patterns such as "../", "..\", and similar constructs before any file operations are performed. Additionally, implementing proper privilege separation where the application runs with minimal required permissions can limit the potential damage from successful exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing file access controls and monitoring mechanisms to detect unauthorized file access patterns. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for preventing directory traversal attacks. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this as a privilege escalation technique through file system manipulation, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls at multiple layers of the system architecture.