CVE-2014-3578 in Spring Framework
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in Pivotal Spring Framework 3.x before 3.2.9 and 4.0 before 4.0.5 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2022
The CVE-2014-3578 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the Pivotal Spring Framework versions 3.x prior to 3.2.9 and 4.0 prior to 4.0.5. This vulnerability exposes applications built on Spring Framework to unauthorized file access attacks, where remote adversaries can manipulate URL parameters to access sensitive files outside the intended directory structure. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and path sanitization mechanisms within the framework's resource handling components, allowing attackers to craft malicious URLs that traverse directory boundaries and retrieve arbitrary files from the server filesystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the framework's handling of resource paths in web requests. When applications process user-supplied URLs containing directory traversal sequences such as "../" or similar path manipulation patterns, the Spring Framework fails to properly sanitize these inputs before resolving file paths. This weakness enables attackers to bypass normal access controls and retrieve files that should remain protected, including configuration files, source code, database credentials, and other sensitive data. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through HTTP requests without requiring authentication or elevated privileges.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing Spring Framework applications, particularly those handling sensitive data or containing privileged information. Attackers can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to application configuration files, database connection details, cryptographic keys, and other confidential resources stored on the server. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage it from external networks, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations, data breaches, and reputational damage when such vulnerabilities are exploited in production environments.
Security mitigations for CVE-2014-3578 primarily involve upgrading to patched versions of the Spring Framework where the directory traversal protection mechanisms have been implemented. Organizations should immediately update their applications to Spring Framework versions 3.2.9 or later for the 3.x series, and 4.0.5 or later for the 4.0 series. Additional protective measures include implementing input validation at multiple layers, configuring proper access controls, and deploying web application firewalls to filter malicious URL patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 directory traversal weakness and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing with Malicious Attachments) in threat actor methodologies. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify any custom code that may be vulnerable to similar path traversal patterns and ensure proper path normalization and validation mechanisms are in place across all application components.