CVE-2006-0890 in SpeedCommander
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in SpeedProject Squeez 5.1, as used in (1) ZipStar 5.1 and (2) SpeedCommander 11.01.4450, allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via unspecified manipulations in a (1) JAR or (2) ZIP archive.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2018
The CVE-2006-0890 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw affecting multiple software components within the SpeedProject ecosystem including ZipStar 5.1 and SpeedCommander 11.01.4450. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms when processing archive files, specifically JAR and ZIP formats, creating an exploitable condition that enables remote attackers to manipulate file system operations beyond intended boundaries. The flaw manifests when the affected applications process compressed archives without proper sanitization of file paths contained within these archives, allowing malicious actors to craft archive contents that can traverse directory structures and overwrite arbitrary files on the target system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which categorizes directory traversal attacks as a fundamental weakness in input validation. When the vulnerable applications extract files from JAR or ZIP archives, they fail to properly validate or sanitize the file paths contained within the archive metadata. This allows attackers to include malicious path sequences such as ../ or ..\ in their archive entries, effectively bypassing normal file system access controls and directory boundaries. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where archive extraction routines do not implement proper path validation, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited remotely without requiring local system access or authentication.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security risks to organizations relying on these legacy applications for file management and archive processing. Remote exploitation could lead to arbitrary file overwrite operations, potentially resulting in system compromise, data corruption, or the installation of malicious payloads. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to overwrite critical system files, configuration files, or even executable components within the application's directory structure. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from any location without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise systems at scale.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires careful crafting of malicious archives containing specially formatted file paths that can traverse the target directory structure. Security practitioners should note that this issue affects legacy software versions that may no longer receive security updates, making mitigation more challenging. Organizations should implement immediate remediation measures including application patching, network segmentation, and monitoring for suspicious archive processing activities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and secure coding practices in archive handling components, as recommended by the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework's defense-in-depth principles. Given the age of the affected software versions, replacement or upgrade of these legacy applications should be prioritized as part of the overall security remediation strategy to address similar vulnerabilities that may exist in outdated software components.