CVE-2007-0872 in Plain Old Webserver
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in the Plain Old Webserver (POW) add-on before 0.0.9 for Mozilla Firefox allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2019
The directory traversal vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0872 affects the Plain Old Webserver (POW) add-on for Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 0.0.9. This vulnerability represents a classic path traversal flaw that enables remote attackers to access files outside the intended directory structure. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the POW add-on processes URI requests containing .. (dot dot) sequences that should be properly sanitized or rejected by the web server implementation. The flaw resides in the add-on's handling of file paths and directory navigation sequences, allowing attackers to manipulate the request URI to traverse directories and access arbitrary files on the system where the Firefox browser is running.
This technical vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal. The flaw operates by exploiting the lack of proper input validation and sanitization in the POW add-on's URI processing logic. When a malicious URI containing directory traversal sequences is submitted to the web server, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize the input, allowing the traversal mechanism to function as intended. This creates an attack surface where an attacker can potentially access sensitive files including configuration files, user data, system files, or other confidential information that should remain protected from unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows remote attackers to execute unauthorized file access operations without requiring any authentication or privileged access. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to read arbitrary files from the filesystem, potentially gaining access to sensitive data such as user credentials, configuration files, or other confidential information stored on the compromised system. The attack can be executed entirely through the browser interface, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no local system access or specialized tools beyond crafting a malicious URI. The vulnerability essentially grants an attacker the ability to bypass normal file access controls and retrieve files that should be protected from external access, potentially leading to information disclosure, system compromise, or further exploitation opportunities.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability involves updating the POW add-on to version 0.0.9 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the directory traversal flaw. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and sanitization measures to prevent similar issues in other web applications and browser extensions. Security best practices recommend implementing strict path validation that rejects or normalizes directory traversal sequences in all URI processing operations. Additionally, the principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that web servers and browser extensions operate with minimal required permissions and access rights. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers can use this flaw to discover and exfiltrate sensitive files from compromised systems. Regular security assessments and patch management processes should be implemented to prevent such vulnerabilities from remaining unaddressed in production environments. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper sandboxing and security boundaries in browser extensions to prevent them from accessing system resources beyond their intended scope.