CVE-2007-2440 in Resin
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in Caucho Resin Professional 3.1.0 and Caucho Resin 3.1.0 and earlier for Windows allows remote attackers to read certain files via a .. (dot dot) in a URI containing a "\web-inf" sequence.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-2440 represents a critical directory traversal flaw affecting Caucho Resin versions 3.1.0 and earlier on Windows platforms. This issue stems from inadequate input validation within the web application server's URI processing mechanism, specifically when handling sequences containing "\web-inf" in file paths. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to access restricted system files by manipulating URI parameters with dot-dot sequences that bypass normal path resolution controls.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of Uniform Resource Identifiers containing directory traversal sequences combined with the specific "\web-inf" pattern that Resin's file handling logic fails to properly sanitize. When a malicious user crafts a URI containing both the .. (dot dot) traversal characters and the "\web-inf" sequence, the application processes this input without adequate validation, allowing access to files within the web application's directory structure that should remain protected. This flaw specifically impacts Windows deployments where the path handling logic does not properly canonicalize or validate the URI components before file access operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with unauthorized access to sensitive application files, configuration data, and potentially system-level resources that should be protected from external access. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to retrieve web application source code, database connection strings, authentication credentials, and other confidential information stored within the web-inf directory structure. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of the application server by undermining the isolation between different application components and system resources.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Directory Traversal and maps to attack techniques involving path traversal in web applications. The flaw demonstrates a classic security misconfiguration issue where input validation fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Caucho Resin, implementing proper URI validation at the application level, and configuring web servers to reject suspicious path sequences. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security principles, particularly addressing the risk of improper input validation that leads to unauthorized access to system resources.
The remediation strategy should focus on comprehensive patch management for the affected Resin versions, implementation of proper path validation mechanisms, and deployment of web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious URI patterns containing directory traversal sequences. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their web application environments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components that might be susceptible to the same class of attack vectors, ensuring that all input processing mechanisms properly validate and sanitize user-supplied data before any file access operations occur.