CVE-2005-0442 in CubeCart
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in index.php for CubeCart 2.0.4 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via the language parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0442 represents a critical directory traversal flaw in CubeCart version 2.0.4's index.php script. This weakness specifically affects the language parameter handling mechanism, creating an exploitable condition where remote attackers can manipulate input to access files outside the intended directory structure. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied parameters, allowing malicious actors to craft requests that traverse directory boundaries and retrieve sensitive information from the web server filesystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability operates through path traversal techniques where the language parameter fails to properly sanitize or validate input before processing. When an attacker supplies a crafted language value containing directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\, the application processes these sequences without adequate restrictions, resulting in unauthorized file access. This flaw directly maps to CWE-22, which categorizes path traversal vulnerabilities as weaknesses in input validation that allow attackers to access files outside the intended directory scope. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can potentially expose sensitive system files, configuration data, and other confidential information stored on the web server.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for affected CubeCart installations. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to access database configuration files, system logs, application source code, and other sensitive artifacts that may contain authentication credentials, database connection strings, or other critical information. The attack surface extends beyond simple file reading to potentially enable further exploitation including privilege escalation, data exfiltration, and system compromise. According to ATT&CK framework categorization, this vulnerability aligns with T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing), as attackers can use the information gathered to craft more sophisticated attacks against the compromised system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-0442 require immediate implementation of input validation and sanitization measures. Organizations should implement strict parameter validation that rejects any input containing directory traversal sequences or special characters that could be used to manipulate file paths. The recommended approach involves whitelisting acceptable language values and implementing proper path normalization techniques that prevent path traversal attempts. Additionally, system administrators should ensure that web applications are regularly updated with security patches and that proper access controls are implemented to limit file system access. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual file access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and conducting regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in web applications. Organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and input filtering mechanisms as additional protective layers against such attacks.