CVE-2008-3939 in PageR Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in the web interface in AVTECH PageR Enterprise before 5.0.7 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via directory traversal sequences in the URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2025
The CVE-2008-3939 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the AVTECH PageR Enterprise web interface version 5.0.6 and earlier. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The vulnerability exists due to inadequate input validation and sanitization within the web application's URI processing mechanism, allowing malicious actors to manipulate file paths and access sensitive system resources that should remain protected.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers craft malicious URIs containing directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ that bypass the intended file access restrictions. When the web interface processes these malformed requests, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the input paths, enabling attackers to navigate outside the intended directory structure and access arbitrary files on the server. This flaw affects the web application's file handling capabilities and can potentially expose sensitive configuration files, user data, system logs, and other confidential information stored on the server.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-3939 is significant as it provides attackers with unauthorized access to critical system resources without requiring legitimate credentials or elevated privileges. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to read system files, configuration data, and potentially sensitive user information, leading to data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized access to enterprise resources. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers discovering file and directory permissions, and T1566, which encompasses phishing with malicious attachments, as attackers might use this vulnerability to gather intelligence about the target environment. The exposure of sensitive files could lead to further exploitation opportunities, including credential theft, privilege escalation, and complete system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-3939 should focus on implementing proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the web application. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied input is rigorously validated and that the application enforces strict path validation to prevent directory traversal attempts. The recommended solution involves upgrading to AVTECH PageR Enterprise version 5.0.7 or later, which includes patches addressing this vulnerability. Additional protective measures include implementing proper access controls, restricting file access permissions, and deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious traversal sequences. Security monitoring should also be enhanced to detect suspicious URI patterns and unauthorized file access attempts, while regular security assessments should verify that input validation mechanisms are properly implemented and functioning as intended.