CVE-2010-2507 in Com Picasa2gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in the Picasa2Gallery (com_picasa2gallery) component 1.2.8 and earlier for Joomla! allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files and possibly have unspecified other impact via a .. (dot dot) in the controller parameter to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2025
The CVE-2010-2507 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the Picasa2Gallery component for Joomla! versions 1.2.8 and earlier. This vulnerability exists in the component's handling of user input through the controller parameter in the index.php file, creating a pathway for malicious actors to access arbitrary files on the affected system. The vulnerability specifically leverages the .. (dot dot) sequence to navigate upward through the directory structure, bypassing normal access controls and file system restrictions that should prevent unauthorized file access. The flaw demonstrates a classic path traversal vulnerability that has been consistently identified in web applications and operating systems, where insufficient input validation allows attackers to manipulate file system access patterns. This type of 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 operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file reading capabilities, as it provides attackers with the potential to access sensitive system files, configuration data, and potentially execute unauthorized operations within the application's scope. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged from any network location to access files that should remain protected. The component's implementation fails to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input before using it in file system operations, allowing malicious users to inject directory traversal sequences that manipulate the intended file path. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and proper input validation, as the application does not adequately verify that the requested file paths remain within the intended directory boundaries. Attackers could potentially access database configuration files, user credentials stored in configuration files, or other sensitive data that might be stored within the application's directory structure.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly in the area of privilege escalation and credential access. The vulnerability enables an attacker to move laterally within the system by accessing files that may contain sensitive information or system configuration details that could be used for further exploitation. The impact of this vulnerability can range from information disclosure to potential system compromise, depending on what files become accessible through the traversal attack. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader attack surface assessment, particularly when evaluating the security posture of content management systems and web applications that utilize third-party components. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and proper file system access controls, as the flaw exists in how the application processes user-supplied parameters rather than in the underlying operating system or file system itself. Organizations using affected Joomla! installations should immediately implement mitigations to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability creates a persistent threat that can be exploited by any remote attacker with knowledge of the target system's configuration.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-2507 should focus on immediate patching of the affected Picasa2Gallery component to version 1.2.9 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Organizations should also implement proper input sanitization at the application level, ensuring that all user-supplied parameters are validated before being processed in file system operations. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block directory traversal patterns, restricting file system access permissions for web applications, and conducting regular security assessments of third-party components. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date software components and implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and access control measures to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, while ensuring that all system components undergo regular security reviews and vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors.