CVE-2008-0797 in iTheora
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in lib/download.php in iTheora 1.0 rc1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via directory traversal sequences in the url parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0797 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the iTheora 1.0 release candidate content management system. This security weakness resides in the lib/download.php component which processes user-supplied input through the url parameter without adequate validation or sanitization. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate file access requests by crafting malicious directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ that bypass normal file system access controls. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The affected iTheora system processes file download requests through a web interface where the url parameter is directly incorporated into file system operations without proper input filtering or access control mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits a malicious url parameter containing directory traversal sequences to the lib/download.php script. When the application processes this input, it concatenates the user-supplied path with the intended download directory, allowing access to files outside the intended scope. This flaw essentially allows an attacker to traverse the file system hierarchy and access sensitive files such as configuration files, database credentials, system logs, or even system binaries that should remain protected from unauthorized access. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the file system level, meaning that an attacker can potentially access any file that the web application process has read permissions for, including system files, application source code, or database files that contain sensitive information. This represents a fundamental failure in input validation and access control implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can lead to complete system compromise when combined with other attack vectors. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially gain access to administrative credentials, database connection strings, or application configuration files that may contain encryption keys or other sensitive data. The attack surface is particularly broad since the vulnerability affects the core download functionality of the iTheora system, which is likely to be accessible to unauthenticated users. This creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited by anyone with access to the web interface, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the system is exposed to the internet. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers directory and file permissions enumeration, as attackers can systematically explore the file system to identify valuable targets.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms. The most effective approach involves implementing strict input filtering that removes or encodes directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ from user-supplied parameters before they are processed. Additionally, the application should enforce a whitelist approach where only predefined, safe file paths are permitted for access, rather than allowing arbitrary path specification. The system should also implement proper access controls that ensure file system operations occur within a designated, restricted directory and that no path traversal attempts can escape this boundary. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious path traversal patterns, as well as regular security audits of file access mechanisms to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other components of the system. The remediation process should include thorough code review to identify and fix similar patterns in other file handling functions throughout the application, as this type of vulnerability often indicates broader architectural issues in input handling and access control implementation.