CVE-2006-0922 in CubeCart
Summary
by MITRE
CubeCart 3.0 through 3.6 does not properly check authorization for an administration session because of a missing auth.inc.php include, which results in an absolute path traversal vulnerability in FileUpload in connector.php (aka upload.php) that allows remote attackers to upload arbitrary files via a modified CurrentFolder parameter in a direct request to admin/filemanager/upload.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-0922 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw within CubeCart e-commerce software versions 3.0 through 3.6. This issue stems from a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture where the administrative session validation mechanism is compromised due to a missing include file. The core problem manifests in the absence of proper authentication checks when administrators access the file upload functionality, creating a pathway for unauthorized users to escalate their privileges and gain administrative access to the system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a specific code path involving the connector.php file, which is referenced as upload.php in the affected system. When a remote attacker makes a direct request to admin/filemanager/upload.php, they can manipulate the CurrentFolder parameter to traverse the file system and upload malicious files to arbitrary locations. This missing auth.inc.php include directive creates an authentication gap where the system fails to validate whether the requesting user possesses legitimate administrative privileges before allowing file upload operations. The vulnerability is classified as an absolute path traversal issue, allowing attackers to bypass normal file system access controls and potentially execute arbitrary code on the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote code execution capabilities for attackers who can upload malicious files such as web shells, backdoors, or other malicious payloads. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can gain complete administrative control over the CubeCart installation, potentially leading to data theft, service disruption, website defacement, or use of the compromised server for further attacks. The vulnerability affects not just the file upload functionality but represents a broader authorization failure that could expose other administrative features within the application. This flaw particularly impacts e-commerce environments where sensitive customer data, payment information, and business-critical files are stored and managed through the vulnerable system.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper authentication controls and input validation mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that all administrative functions properly include authentication checks before allowing access to sensitive operations, particularly file upload functionality. The missing auth.inc.php file should be restored and properly integrated into the application's security framework to prevent unauthorized access to administrative features. Additionally, implementing proper parameter validation and sanitization for the CurrentFolder parameter in file upload requests would prevent path traversal attacks. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1505 for server software component compromises. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls, input validation, and regular security audits to prevent similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.