CVE-2016-9878 in Retail Returns Management
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Pivotal Spring Framework before 3.2.18, 4.2.x before 4.2.9, and 4.3.x before 4.3.5. Paths provided to the ResourceServlet were not properly sanitized and as a result exposed to directory traversal attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9878 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the Pivotal Spring Framework that affected multiple major versions including 3.2.18, 4.2.9, and 4.3.5. This security weakness resides in the ResourceServlet component which handles resource requests within web applications built on the Spring framework. The flaw allows malicious actors to access files and directories that should normally be restricted or protected from unauthorized access by manipulating path parameters sent to the servlet.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the ResourceServlet implementation. When applications process file path requests through this servlet, the framework fails to properly sanitize user-supplied path parameters before using them to resolve file system locations. This improper handling creates an opportunity for attackers to craft malicious requests containing directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ that can navigate outside the intended directory boundaries. The vulnerability manifests as a failure to properly validate or escape path components, allowing arbitrary file access to occur when the servlet resolves these paths against the file system.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-9878 extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable complete system compromise when exploited in conjunction with other vulnerabilities. Attackers can leverage this flaw to access sensitive application files including configuration files, source code repositories, database credentials, and other confidential data stored within the application's file system. The vulnerability affects applications that utilize the Spring Framework's ResourceServlet for serving static resources, potentially exposing entire application directories, system files, and sensitive configuration data to unauthorized access. This could result in data breaches, privilege escalation, and further exploitation opportunities within the affected systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through patching to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. The affected versions include Spring Framework 3.2.18, 4.2.9, and 4.3.5, with newer releases providing proper input validation and sanitization for path parameters. Security teams should also implement network-level mitigations such as web application firewalls to filter suspicious path traversal attempts and monitor for unusual file access patterns. Additionally, application developers should review their code to ensure proper resource handling and consider implementing additional access controls for file system operations. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Directory Traversal and maps to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1083 technique for discovering files and directories, making it a significant concern for enterprise security posture and compliance requirements.