CVE-2018-10862 in WildFly
Summary
by MITRE
WildFly Core before version 6.0.0.Alpha3 does not properly validate file paths in .war archives, allowing for the extraction of crafted .war archives to overwrite arbitrary files. This is an instance of the 'Zip Slip' vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10862 represents a critical path traversal flaw within WildFly Core versions prior to 6.0.0.Alpha3, specifically manifesting as a Zip Slip vulnerability that enables unauthorized file overwrites through maliciously crafted .war archive deployments. This security weakness stems from inadequate validation of file paths during the extraction process of archive files, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate the target filesystem by placing malicious files in unexpected locations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when WildFly Core processes .war archive files without properly sanitizing the file paths contained within these archives. During the extraction phase, the system fails to validate whether the extracted file paths are relative to the intended target directory, allowing attackers to include ../ sequences in their archive entries. This flaw directly maps to CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The vulnerability exists at the archive extraction layer where input validation should occur before any file system operations are performed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file overwrites to potentially enable complete system compromise through privilege escalation and persistent backdoor installation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to overwrite critical system files, configuration files, or even executable binaries within the application server's deployment directory. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the application server environment and can lead to unauthorized code execution, data exfiltration, or service disruption. This flaw particularly impacts organizations running legacy WildFly Core versions, as it allows remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to the underlying filesystem through legitimate deployment mechanisms.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected WildFly Core installations to version 6.0.0.Alpha3 or later, which implements proper path validation during archive extraction processes. Organizations should also implement additional protective measures including restricting deployment permissions, implementing strict file path validation at multiple layers, and monitoring deployment activities for suspicious file operations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1078 for valid accounts, as attackers may use this weakness to establish persistent access through compromised deployment mechanisms. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation, while regular security audits should verify that no malicious files have been introduced through this vulnerability.