CVE-2008-3776 in Web Based Admin View
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in Fujitsu Web-Based Admin View 2.1.2 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3776 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within Fujitsu Web-Based Admin View version 2.1.2, a web-based administrative interface designed for system management and monitoring. This security weakness stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied URI parameters, creating an exploitable condition that enables unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes URI components containing double dot sequences, which are commonly used to navigate up directory levels in file systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to manipulate the application's request handling logic by injecting .. (dot dot) sequences into the URI path parameter. When the web application processes these malformed requests without proper validation, it interprets the traversal sequences and attempts to access files outside the intended directory structure. This occurs because the application fails to normalize or sanitize the URI path before processing, permitting attackers to navigate to arbitrary file locations on the server filesystem. The vulnerability specifically affects the web-based administrative interface, which typically requires elevated privileges to access, making the potential impact significantly more severe.
The operational impact of this directory traversal vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially lead to complete system compromise when combined with other exploitation techniques. Attackers can leverage this flaw to read sensitive configuration files, system binaries, and potentially database files that contain authentication credentials, system keys, or other confidential information. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the system or local network presence to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible administrative interfaces. This weakness directly violates security principles of least privilege and proper input validation, creating an attack vector that can be easily automated and scaled.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-3776 should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the web application layer. Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patch or upgrade to a version that addresses this directory traversal vulnerability, as the flaw has existed for over a decade and represents a fundamental security oversight. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of the administrative interface to trusted networks only, while web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and filtering suspicious URI patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Directory Traversal and maps to attack techniques in the ATT&CK framework under T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566 Phishing, as attackers may use this flaw to gain initial access to systems before escalating privileges or exfiltrating data. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other application components, as this class of weakness remains prevalent in many web applications.