CVE-2017-16197 in qinserve
Summary
by MITRE
qinserve is a static file server. qinserve 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 qinserve static file server vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw that exposes systems to unauthorized file system access. This vulnerability specifically affects the qinserve web server implementation which serves static content and fails to properly sanitize user input in URL paths. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate file paths through the use of relative path traversal sequences such as "../" which can be injected into the URL parameters. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-22, which categorizes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, also known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the qinserve server processes user-supplied URLs without adequate validation or sanitization of the path components. When an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing directory traversal sequences, the server processes these sequences and allows access to files outside the intended document root directory. This creates a scenario where attackers can navigate through the file system hierarchy and potentially access sensitive files such as configuration files, source code, system credentials, or other confidential data that should remain protected from external access.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security risks to organizations utilizing qinserve as their static file server. The potential consequences include data leakage, system compromise, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform reconnaissance activities, escalate privileges, or extract valuable data from the compromised system. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because it allows for arbitrary file access, meaning attackers can potentially read any file that the server process has permissions to access. This can result in complete system compromise if sensitive files such as database credentials, application secrets, or system configuration files are accessible through the traversal attack.
Security professionals should implement several mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary recommendation involves implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all user-supplied URL parameters. This includes implementing strict path validation that rejects or removes directory traversal sequences from file paths before processing. Organizations should also consider implementing proper access controls and privilege separation to ensure that the web server process runs with minimal required permissions. Additionally, the implementation of web application firewalls and security monitoring systems can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and input validation principles, aligning with defense-in-depth strategies recommended by cybersecurity frameworks such as those outlined in the mitre ATT&CK framework where this type of vulnerability would be categorized under the privilege escalation and credential access tactics. Organizations should also ensure that all web applications undergo regular security testing including penetration testing and code reviews to identify similar path traversal vulnerabilities in their systems.