CVE-2007-6623 in ZeusCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Absolute path traversal vulnerability in ZeusCMS 0.3 and earlier might allow remote attackers to list arbitrary directories via a full pathname in the dir parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6623 represents a critical absolute path traversal flaw within ZeusCMS version 0.3 and earlier implementations. This security weakness resides in the application's handling of directory listing requests through the dir parameter, which accepts full pathnames without adequate input validation or sanitization. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate the directory traversal mechanism and access arbitrary directories on the affected system, potentially exposing sensitive files and system information that should remain restricted to authorized users.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-22, which defines improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The technical implementation flaw occurs when the application fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied input that is used to construct file paths or directory listings. In the context of ZeusCMS, the dir parameter serves as the attack vector where an attacker can provide an absolute path such as /etc/passwd or /var/www/html/ to bypass normal access controls and retrieve files from locations outside the intended web root directory.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the capability to enumerate directory structures and potentially access sensitive system files, configuration data, and application resources. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to perform reconnaissance activities, identify system architecture, discover other potentially vulnerable applications, and gather intelligence for further exploitation. The vulnerability affects the principle of least privilege and can lead to unauthorized access to system resources, potentially enabling more severe attacks such as privilege escalation or data exfiltration.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-6623 should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms to prevent absolute path traversal attacks. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied parameters used in directory operations undergo strict validation to reject or normalize absolute paths. The recommended approach includes implementing proper path normalization techniques that resolve absolute paths to relative paths within the intended directory scope, as well as employing access control lists and privilege separation mechanisms to limit directory traversal capabilities. Additionally, upgrading to patched versions of ZeusCMS or implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block such traversal attempts provides effective remediation measures against this specific vulnerability class. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a directory traversal technique under the T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) tactic, emphasizing the reconnaissance phase of attack chains that can lead to more sophisticated exploitation methods.