CVE-2005-3557 in PHPList
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in admin/defaults.php in PHPlist 2.10.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to access arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the selected%5B%5D parameter in an HTTP POST request.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3557 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the PHPlist 2.10.1 content management system that exposes sensitive system files to remote attackers. This vulnerability specifically affects the admin/defaults.php component where input validation is insufficient to prevent malicious path manipulation attempts. The flaw manifests when the application processes the selected%5B%5D parameter through HTTP POST requests without proper sanitization or validation of directory traversal sequences.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input filtering mechanisms that fail to properly validate user-supplied data before using it in file system operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTTP POST requests containing directory traversal sequences such as ..%2F or similar encoded variants that bypass normal input validation. When the application processes these parameters, it directly incorporates them into file path resolution without proper sanitization, allowing unauthorized access to arbitrary files on the server. This type of vulnerability is classified as CWE-22 according to the Common Weakness Enumeration standards, which specifically addresses 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 potential access to critical system files including configuration files, database credentials, and other sensitive data that could compromise the entire application infrastructure. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to extract sensitive information, potentially leading to privilege escalation and complete system compromise. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication and can be executed through standard web browser interactions, making it highly exploitable in automated attack scenarios.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability including immediate patching of affected PHPlist installations to versions that properly validate and sanitize user input. Input validation should be strengthened to reject any path traversal sequences regardless of encoding, and applications should employ proper access controls to limit file system access to only necessary directories. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious parameter patterns, and conducting regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 which covers data from information repositories, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to severe privilege escalation and information disclosure attacks.