CVE-2014-7816 in Undertow
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in JBoss Undertow 1.0.x before 1.0.17, 1.1.x before 1.1.0.CR5, and 1.2.x before 1.2.0.Beta3, when running on Windows, allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in a resource URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2024
The CVE-2014-7816 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw in JBoss Undertow web server implementations running on Windows operating systems. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of the Undertow framework including 1.0.x versions prior to 1.0.17, 1.1.x versions prior to 1.1.0.CR5, and 1.2.x versions prior to 1.2.0.Beta3. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the web server's resource handling logic, specifically when processing URI requests containing directory traversal sequences. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or normalize file paths, allowing attackers to manipulate resource identifiers to access files outside the intended web root directory.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the attacker's ability to construct malicious URI requests containing dot-dot sequences such as .. or %2e%2e that are interpreted by the web server as directory traversal commands. When Undertow processes these requests on Windows systems, the insufficient path validation allows the server to resolve these traversal sequences and return the contents of arbitrary files from the underlying file system. This represents a classic directory traversal attack pattern that has been documented in numerous security frameworks and standards. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal. The attack vector operates at the application layer, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard HTTP requests without requiring elevated privileges or specialized tools.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-7816 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as attackers can potentially access sensitive files including configuration files, database credentials, application source code, and system files that may contain authentication tokens or other confidential information. The vulnerability affects Windows deployments specifically, indicating that the underlying implementation differences in path resolution between Windows and Unix-like systems create this particular attack surface. This limitation suggests that the vulnerability stems from how Undertow handles backslash and forward slash path separators on Windows platforms, where the application fails to normalize these path components properly. Organizations running affected versions of Undertow on Windows servers face significant risk of data breaches, as successful exploitation can provide attackers with complete access to the file system contents that the web server has permission to read. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002, which covers data from information repositories, as attackers can extract sensitive data from the compromised web server.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-7816 primarily focus on upgrading to patched versions of JBoss Undertow where the path validation has been strengthened. Organizations should immediately implement version updates to 1.0.17, 1.1.0.CR5, or 1.2.0.Beta3 respectively, depending on their current deployment. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing input validation at the application level by sanitizing all URI parameters and implementing proper path normalization routines that prevent traversal sequences from being processed. Network-level mitigations such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection by blocking suspicious URI patterns containing directory traversal sequences. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation, particularly in web applications that handle file system operations. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their web server configurations and implement monitoring to detect unusual file access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security updates and patch management procedures should be enforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patched versions maintain application functionality while eliminating the directory traversal attack surface.