CVE-2006-1995 in Scry Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in index.php in Scry Gallery 1.1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via ".." sequences in the p parameter, which is not properly sanitized due to an rtrim function call with the arguments in the wrong order.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1995 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the Scry Gallery 1.1 web application that enables remote attackers to access arbitrary files on the underlying file system. This vulnerability specifically affects the index.php script where user input is processed through the p parameter without adequate sanitization mechanisms. The flaw stems from a fundamental programming error in how the rtrim function is invoked, creating a security gap that allows malicious actors to manipulate file paths and gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs due to improper argument ordering in the rtrim function call, which is responsible for removing trailing characters from strings. When the p parameter contains directory traversal sequences such as "..", the flawed sanitization routine fails to properly strip these malicious components, allowing the traversal path to persist and potentially access files outside the intended gallery directory structure. This misconfiguration creates a path traversal condition where an attacker can navigate through the file system hierarchy and retrieve files that should remain protected, including configuration files, database credentials, and other sensitive data.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations deploying Scry Gallery 1.1 as it allows attackers to potentially access not only gallery-related files but also system configuration data, user credentials, and application source code. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as attackers could potentially access database files, application logs, and other sensitive resources that may contain authentication tokens, encryption keys, or other critical system information. The remote nature of this exploit means that attackers do not require local system access or physical presence to leverage this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in internet-facing applications.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. This weakness is categorized under the broader category of input validation failures and represents a classic example of how improper function parameter handling can create security vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework would classify this vulnerability under the T1083 technique for File and Directory Discovery, as attackers would likely use this vulnerability to enumerate system files and directories to identify additional attack vectors or sensitive information.
Effective mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the Scry Gallery 1.1 application to correct the rtrim function argument ordering and implement proper input sanitization. Organizations should also implement proper parameter validation that filters out directory traversal sequences and enforces strict path validation to ensure that all user-supplied paths remain within the intended directory boundaries. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious path traversal patterns, restricting file system permissions for the web application, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack.