CVE-2006-1323 in WinHKI
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in WinHKI 1.6 and earlier allows user-assisted attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a (1) RAR, (2) TAR, (3) ZIP, or (4) TAR.GZ archive with a file whose file name contains ".." sequences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1323 represents a critical directory traversal flaw affecting WinHKI 1.6 and earlier versions, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in archive handling mechanisms that has persisted across multiple compression formats. This vulnerability operates through user-assisted attack vectors where malicious actors can manipulate archive contents to execute unauthorized file operations, specifically targeting the extraction process of compressed files. The flaw manifests when the software processes archive files containing filenames with ".." sequences that are designed to traverse directory structures beyond the intended extraction location. This issue affects four major archive formats including RAR, TAR, ZIP, and TAR.GZ, indicating a systemic problem in how WinHKI handles path resolution during decompression operations across different compression standards.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and path sanitization within the archive extraction routines. When WinHKI processes compressed files, it fails to properly validate or sanitize filenames that contain directory traversal sequences, allowing attackers to specify paths that extend beyond the target directory. This weakness directly maps to CWE-22, which defines path traversal vulnerabilities as conditions where applications permit access to files and directories outside of their intended scope through manipulation of file paths. The vulnerability operates at the file system level where the software's extraction logic does not adequately restrict or normalize file paths, creating opportunities for attackers to overwrite critical system files or inject malicious content into arbitrary locations on the target system.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security risks for systems running affected versions of WinHKI, as it enables attackers to potentially overwrite system-critical files, install malicious software, or modify existing programs without proper authorization. The user-assisted nature of the attack means that victims must first be convinced to open or extract a malicious archive, but once executed, the vulnerability can result in complete system compromise or data corruption. The broad scope affecting multiple archive formats increases the attack surface significantly, as attackers can leverage any of these compression types to deliver malicious payloads. This vulnerability particularly impacts enterprise environments where users may regularly extract archives from untrusted sources, creating numerous potential entry points for malicious actors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-1323 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that address the directory traversal flaw, as this represents the most effective solution to prevent exploitation. Organizations should implement strict archive validation policies that scan and sanitize archive contents before extraction, particularly for archives received from external sources or untrusted parties. Network-level controls can be deployed to restrict access to known malicious archive types or to monitor for suspicious file extraction patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also establish comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all systems running WinHKI or similar archive processing software receive updates promptly. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing least privilege principles for archive processing operations, limiting the permissions of archive extraction processes to minimize potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for archive and compression file execution highlights the need for comprehensive endpoint protection measures that can detect and prevent such malicious archive handling operations.