CVE-2015-2965 in Japanese
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in osCommerce Japanese 2.2ms1j-R8 and earlier allows remote authenticated administrators to read arbitrary files via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2022
The directory traversal vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2965 affects osCommerce Japanese 2.2ms1j-R8 and earlier versions, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote authenticated administrators to access arbitrary files on the affected system. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the application's file handling processes, specifically targeting the Japanese edition of the popular open-source e-commerce platform. The flaw allows attackers with administrative credentials to manipulate file path references and gain unauthorized access to sensitive system files that should remain protected from direct retrieval.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input parameters that are used in file operations. When authenticated administrators interact with certain administrative functions, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize file path parameters, enabling attackers to inject malicious path traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ that can navigate outside the intended directory boundaries. This weakness aligns with CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where user inputs are processed without adequate validation, creating an attack surface that can be leveraged to access configuration files, database credentials, source code, and other sensitive materials stored on the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, as it provides attackers with potential pathways to escalate privileges and compromise the entire e-commerce platform. Once an attacker gains access to sensitive files, they can extract database connection strings, administrative credentials, encryption keys, and application source code that may reveal additional vulnerabilities. The threat landscape for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it requires only authenticated administrative access, meaning that attackers who have already compromised administrative credentials or those who can obtain them through social engineering or other means can immediately exploit this flaw. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing, as it represents a post-compromise technique that can be used to expand access and extract valuable information from compromised administrative accounts. The vulnerability also aligns with T1083 File and Directory Discovery, as attackers can systematically enumerate and access files across the system once they have established the traversal capability.
Organizations running affected versions of osCommerce Japanese should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from the osCommerce development team, implementing proper input validation mechanisms, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of their administrative interfaces. The recommended approach includes implementing strict file path validation, utilizing whitelisting techniques for file operations, and ensuring that administrative sessions are properly secured with multi-factor authentication. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit the potential impact of credential compromise, while regular security monitoring and log analysis can help detect suspicious file access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper input validation and the critical need for maintaining up-to-date software versions to protect against known security flaws that can be easily exploited by threat actors.