CVE-2012-1790 in Webgrind
Summary
by MITRE
Absolute path traversal vulnerability in Webgrind 1.0 and 1.0.2 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a full pathname in the file parameter to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2025
The CVE-2012-1790 vulnerability represents a critical absolute path traversal flaw in Webgrind versions 1.0 and 1.0.2, which operates as a web-based application profiling tool for phpdbg. This vulnerability resides within the application's handling of user-supplied input in the file parameter of the index.php script, creating an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to access arbitrary files on the target system. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly restrict user-provided file paths, enabling attackers to bypass normal access controls and retrieve sensitive information from the server filesystem. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. This weakness enables attackers to navigate the filesystem using directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\, potentially accessing system files, configuration files, or other sensitive data that should remain protected from unauthorized access. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file reading capabilities, as it can expose critical system information including database credentials, application configuration files, source code, and potentially sensitive user data stored on the same server. The attack vector requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely without authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where Webgrind is deployed with default configurations or insufficient access controls. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers the discovery of system files and directories, and T1566, which covers the deployment of malicious files through various attack vectors. The operational impact of CVE-2012-1790 can be severe, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to obtain database connection strings, application secrets, cryptographic keys, and other confidential data stored on the server. The vulnerability also enables attackers to discover additional system information that could be used in subsequent attacks, including file system structure, installed applications, and system configurations. Organizations running affected versions of Webgrind face significant risk of unauthorized data access and potential system infiltration. The remediation approach involves implementing proper input validation and sanitization techniques, including whitelisting acceptable file paths, implementing strict directory restrictions, and ensuring that all user-supplied input undergoes comprehensive validation before being processed. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Webgrind or implement compensating controls such as input filtering, directory restriction mechanisms, and proper access controls. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious file access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and highlights how seemingly simple flaws can lead to significant security breaches. This issue underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against path traversal attacks. System administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially affected applications and ensure that proper security measures are in place to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. The long-term implications include the need for comprehensive security training for developers and the implementation of automated security testing procedures to identify such vulnerabilities during the development lifecycle rather than after deployment.