CVE-2015-2950 in Open Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in the Brandon Bowles Open Explorer application before 0.254 Beta for Android allows remote attackers to write to arbitrary files via a crafted filename.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2019
The CVE-2015-2950 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw in the Brandon Bowles Open Explorer Android application, which affected versions prior to 0.254 Beta. This vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation and represents a significant security weakness that could be exploited by remote attackers to gain unauthorized file system access. The flaw specifically resides in how the application processes file names, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the file system through crafted input strings that bypass normal security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-provided file names within the application's file handling mechanisms. When the Open Explorer application processes file operations, it fails to properly validate or sanitize input parameters that could contain directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ that would normally be rejected by operating system security controls. This allows attackers to craft malicious filenames that, when processed by the vulnerable application, can traverse the file system directory structure and write files to locations outside the intended target directories.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, as it enables remote code execution capabilities through file system manipulation. Attackers can leverage this flaw to write malicious files to critical system locations, potentially installing backdoors, modifying system binaries, or creating persistent access points within the Android device. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to the device or local network privileges to carry out attacks, making it particularly dangerous in mobile environments where applications often have elevated permissions. This weakness directly aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to severe privilege escalation scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2950 should focus on immediate application updates and comprehensive input validation implementations. Users should upgrade to version 0.254 Beta or later, which includes proper file name sanitization and validation mechanisms. Security measures should also include implementing strict file name validation that rejects any input containing directory traversal sequences, employing proper access controls that limit file system operations to designated directories, and utilizing secure coding practices that prevent path manipulation attacks. Organizations should consider implementing mobile device management solutions that can automatically update vulnerable applications and monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following ATT&CK framework principles for mobile application security, particularly in the area of privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms that attackers might leverage through such flaws. Additionally, developers should adopt secure coding standards that emphasize input validation and proper resource management to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future application development cycles.