CVE-2006-1996 in Scry Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Scry Gallery 1.1 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via an invalid p parameter, which reveals the path in an error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1996 affects Scry Gallery 1.1, a web-based photo gallery application that was prevalent in the mid-2000s. This security flaw represents a classic example of information disclosure through improper error handling mechanisms within web applications. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application processes an invalid p parameter, which is typically used to specify a page or directory within the gallery system. When an attacker submits a malformed or non-existent p parameter value, the application fails to properly validate the input and instead returns a detailed error message containing the absolute file path of the system where the application is installed.
This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and specifically aligns with CWE-185, "Incorrect Regular Expression," or more broadly CWE-312, "Sensitive Data Exposure," depending on the exact implementation details. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental lack of proper input sanitization and error handling practices that are essential for maintaining application security. The error message disclosure occurs because the application's error handling routine does not properly sanitize or filter the user-supplied parameter before incorporating it into the error message, thereby exposing the underlying filesystem structure to potential attackers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical system architecture information that can be leveraged in subsequent attack phases. The revealed file paths can include full absolute paths to the web root directory, which may contain sensitive information about the server configuration, directory structure, and potentially even the operating system version. This information can be used to craft more sophisticated attacks, such as directory traversal exploits or to identify specific vulnerabilities in the underlying system components. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1083 "File and Directory Discovery" and T1068 "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" as attackers can use the discovered information to plan more targeted attacks against the system.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal technical skill and can be accomplished through simple HTTP requests with malformed parameters, making it particularly dangerous as it can be discovered and exploited by automated scanning tools. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing proper error handling mechanisms that do not expose internal system information to end users. The recommended mitigations include implementing input validation for all user-supplied parameters, using generic error messages that do not reveal system paths or internal application details, and ensuring that error handling routines sanitize all input before displaying any error information to users. Additionally, implementing proper logging mechanisms can help detect such attacks, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in legacy applications that may not have been designed with modern security practices in mind.