CVE-2005-0299 in GForge
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in GForge 3.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to list arbitrary directories via a .. (dot dot) in the (1) dir parameter to controller.php or (2) dir_name parameter to controlleroo.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0299 represents a critical directory traversal flaw affecting GForge versions 3.3 and earlier. This weakness resides in the web application's handling of user-supplied directory parameters within two specific controller scripts. The vulnerability manifests when attackers manipulate the dir parameter in controller.php or the dir_name parameter in controlleroo.php by injecting .. (dot dot) sequences. This directory traversal technique enables unauthorized access to arbitrary directories on the server filesystem, potentially exposing sensitive data and system resources beyond the intended application boundaries. The flaw directly violates fundamental security principles of input validation and access control, creating a pathway for attackers to bypass normal file system access restrictions.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates through the exploitation of insufficient input sanitization mechanisms within the GForge application's file handling routines. When the application processes user-provided directory paths without proper validation or canonicalization, it fails to prevent the interpretation of .. sequences as parent directory references. This allows attackers to traverse up the directory tree and access files that should remain protected within the application's designated scope. The vulnerability is classified under 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 demonstrates a classic case of inadequate input validation where the application trusts user input without proper sanitization or verification against a whitelist of allowed paths.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the capability to enumerate directory structures, access configuration files, and potentially execute arbitrary code if sensitive files are accessible. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain insights into the server's file system organization, identify sensitive files such as database credentials, configuration files, or backup archives, and potentially escalate their privileges within the system. The vulnerability affects the core authentication and authorization mechanisms of GForge, undermining the application's security model and potentially leading to full system compromise. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers can use the discovered information to craft more sophisticated attacks. The exposure of directory structures can also facilitate further exploitation attempts by revealing the presence of backup files, development artifacts, or other sensitive resources that may contain additional vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-0299 should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization measures within the affected GForge applications. The primary remediation involves ensuring that all user-provided directory parameters undergo strict validation to prevent the inclusion of .. sequences or other path manipulation attempts. Organizations should implement proper path canonicalization techniques that resolve absolute paths and verify that the resulting paths remain within the intended application directories. Additionally, the application should enforce strict access controls that limit file system access to only necessary directories and implement proper logging mechanisms to detect and alert on suspicious directory traversal attempts. The recommended approach aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST guidelines for preventing path traversal vulnerabilities. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and input filtering rules to prevent exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other applications and ensure that the application follows secure coding practices that prevent unauthorized directory access.