CVE-2007-0263 in Total Commander
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Total Commander before 6.5.6 allows user-assisted remote attackers to delete arbitrary files and corrupt a filesystem via a crafted RAR file. NOTE: The provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/04/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0263 represents a critical security flaw in Total Commander software versions prior to 6.5.6, where an unspecified weakness enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary file deletion and filesystem corruption operations through the manipulation of crafted RAR archive files. This vulnerability operates under the principle of user-assisted remote exploitation, meaning that while the attack requires some form of user interaction or involvement, it can be initiated from remote locations without direct system compromise. The technical nature of this flaw suggests a failure in the software's archive handling mechanisms, particularly when processing RAR format files that have been specially constructed to exploit the underlying vulnerability.
The core technical flaw lies within the file extraction and processing routines of Total Commander's RAR archive handling component, where insufficient input validation and sanitization permits maliciously crafted archive structures to bypass normal security checks. When a user opens or extracts a specially designed RAR file, the vulnerable software processes the archive contents without proper verification of file paths or archive integrity, allowing attackers to specify arbitrary file paths that can result in deletion of files outside the intended extraction directory or corruption of filesystem structures. This vulnerability type aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks, where attackers manipulate file paths to access or modify unauthorized files.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file deletion to include potential filesystem corruption that could compromise system stability and data integrity. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could target critical system files, configuration data, or user documents, potentially leading to complete system compromise or data loss. The user-assisted nature of the attack means that successful exploitation typically requires the target user to perform an action such as opening the malicious archive, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users may encounter untrusted archive files through email attachments, file sharing systems, or web downloads. This attack vector represents a classic example of a social engineering component combined with software exploitation, making it particularly effective against less security-conscious users.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate software updates to Total Commander version 6.5.6 or later, which would contain the necessary patches to address the RAR archive processing flaws. System administrators should also implement additional protective measures such as restricting user access to archive extraction utilities, implementing file type restrictions for archive files, and deploying application whitelisting solutions to prevent execution of untrusted archive files. Organizations should consider network-based protections including email filtering and web proxy configurations that can identify and block potentially malicious archive files before they reach end-user systems. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving file and directory permissions manipulation, as well as privilege escalation through exploitation of software vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include comprehensive vulnerability scanning to identify systems running vulnerable versions, followed by immediate patch deployment and user education regarding the risks of opening untrusted archive files. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual file deletion patterns or filesystem access attempts that might indicate exploitation attempts against this vulnerability.