CVE-2007-4805 in fuzzylime
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in getgalldata.php in fuzzylime (cms) 3.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to include arbitrary local files via a .. (dot dot) in the p parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-4805 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the fuzzylime content management system version 3.0 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the getgalldata.php script which fails to properly validate user input before processing file inclusion requests. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application accepts a parameter named 'p' without adequate sanitization, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the input to navigate through the file system hierarchy using the .. (dot dot) sequence. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of path traversal attacks that have been consistently categorized by CWE-22 as "Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')". The flaw enables attackers to bypass normal access controls and potentially read sensitive files that should remain protected within the application's directory structure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file enumeration as it creates a potential gateway for complete system compromise. When an attacker successfully exploits this directory traversal flaw, they can access arbitrary local files on the server hosting the fuzzylime CMS. This includes but is not limited to configuration files that may contain database credentials, user authentication details, or other sensitive system information. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the server or local network privileges to exploit this weakness. According to ATT&CK framework reference T1566.001, this vulnerability aligns with the technique of "Phishing for Information" as attackers can harvest sensitive data through file inclusion methods, and T1078.004 for "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts" if the system contains cloud-related configuration files. The potential for privilege escalation increases significantly when attackers can access system configuration files or database connection strings that may grant elevated access rights.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices within the fuzzylime application codebase. The getgalldata.php script fails to implement proper sanitization or whitelisting mechanisms for the 'p' parameter, allowing raw user input to directly influence file system operations. This represents a classic example of unsafe file handling where user-controllable variables are directly concatenated into file paths without proper security checks. Security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten 2017 Project emphasize the critical nature of input validation and proper access controls, with this vulnerability directly correlating to the "A03:2017 - Injection" category. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical sophistication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by attackers with varying skill levels. Mitigation strategies should include implementing proper input validation, using allowlists for acceptable file paths, and ensuring that all user-supplied parameters undergo rigorous sanitization before being processed by any file system operations. Additionally, the application should be configured to run with minimal required privileges and implement proper access controls to limit the damage that could result from successful exploitation.
Modern security practices recommend immediate remediation through code review and input validation implementation, with the most effective solution being the complete removal of dynamic file inclusion functionality or the implementation of strict parameter validation that prevents any traversal sequences from being processed. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and ensure that all systems are updated to versions that address this known vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to verify that the fix does not introduce any regression issues while maintaining the application's intended functionality. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the system architecture, as directory traversal vulnerabilities often indicate broader security implementation gaps that may affect other parts of the application infrastructure.