CVE-2017-16169 in looppake
Summary
by MITRE
looppake is a simple http server. looppake is vulnerable to a directory traversal issue, giving an attacker access to the filesystem by placing "../" in the url.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-16169 affects looppake, a simple http server implementation that suffers from a critical directory traversal flaw. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation within the server's path handling mechanism, allowing remote attackers to access arbitrary files on the underlying filesystem through carefully crafted url requests. The vulnerability manifests when user-supplied input containing directory traversal sequences such as "../" is processed without proper sanitization or authorization checks, enabling attackers to navigate beyond the intended web root directory.
This directory traversal vulnerability represents a classic security flaw that maps directly to CWE-22, known as "Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')". The issue falls under the broader category of insecure input handling where the application fails to properly validate and sanitize user-provided data before using it in file system operations. The attack vector is straightforward yet highly effective, as it requires no authentication or complex exploitation techniques, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the http server is accessible to unauthenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the ability to read arbitrary files on the server, potentially including sensitive configuration files, database credentials, application source code, or other confidential data. Depending on the server configuration and file permissions, attackers might also be able to execute malicious code or perform further exploitation by accessing system files or binaries. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of the system, potentially enabling privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the http server implementation. The recommended approach involves normalizing all user-supplied paths before processing them, ensuring that directory traversal sequences are either rejected or properly resolved to prevent access outside the intended directory structure. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and privilege separation, ensuring that the http server runs with minimal necessary permissions. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules can help limit exposure to this vulnerability by restricting access to the affected service to trusted networks only. The remediation process should include thorough code review and testing to ensure that all path handling operations properly validate user input and prevent unauthorized file system access.