CVE-2012-0410 in GroupWise
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in WebAccess in Novell GroupWise before 8.03 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via the User.interface parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2021
The CVE-2012-0410 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw within Novell GroupWise WebAccess component, specifically affecting versions prior to 8.03. This vulnerability resides in the User.interface parameter processing mechanism, which fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied input before using it to construct file paths. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate the application's file access routines by injecting malicious path traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ into the User.interface parameter, thereby gaining unauthorized access to sensitive files on the underlying file system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper path resolution logic within the web application's interface handling module.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious request containing directory traversal sequences within the User.interface parameter. The web application processes this parameter without adequate sanitization, allowing the traversal sequences to navigate outside the intended directory boundaries and access arbitrary files on the server. This flaw directly maps to CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal vulnerabilities. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through HTTP requests, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no authentication or privileged access to the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-0410 is significant, as it allows attackers to read arbitrary files from the target system, potentially including configuration files, database credentials, application source code, and sensitive user data. Depending on the system configuration and file permissions, attackers might gain access to critical system files, application binaries, or even administrative credentials stored in configuration files. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad, as unauthorized data disclosure occurs without proper authorization. This type of vulnerability can lead to further compromise of the system through information gathering, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing for Information) as attackers may use the leaked information to plan more sophisticated attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of affected GroupWise versions to 8.03 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Organizations should implement proper input sanitization and validation for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in file path construction. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring web applications run with minimal required permissions and that file access is restricted to necessary directories only. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers, while regular security audits and penetration testing help identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. Organizations should also implement proper logging and monitoring of file access patterns to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input validation, which are fundamental requirements in security standards such as ISO/IEC 27001 and NIST SP 800-53, and directly relates to security controls addressing improper input validation and privilege escalation risks.