CVE-2018-12036 in Dependency-Check
Summary
by MITRE
OWASP Dependency-Check before 3.2.0 allows attackers to write to arbitrary files via a crafted archive that holds directory traversal filenames.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12036 represents a critical directory traversal flaw in the OWASP Dependency-Check tool version 3.1.0 and earlier. This security weakness enables malicious actors to exploit the tool's archive extraction functionality by crafting specially designed archive files containing directory traversal sequences in their filenames. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization during the archive processing phase, allowing attackers to manipulate file paths and write content to locations outside the intended extraction directory. The flaw specifically affects the tool's ability to handle compressed archives such as zip files, where filenames can contain sequences like ../ that traverse directory structures. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-22 category known as "Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')", which is a well-documented weakness in software security practices. The issue is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited during routine security scanning operations when developers or security teams execute Dependency-Check on potentially compromised archives or when the tool processes third-party libraries that may contain maliciously crafted archives.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file system manipulation and can lead to severe consequences in security tooling environments. Attackers who successfully exploit this weakness can overwrite critical system files, inject malicious code into the tool's execution environment, or even escalate privileges if the tool runs with elevated permissions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in automated security scanning pipelines where Dependency-Check might be invoked on untrusted code repositories or third-party libraries without proper sanitization. When an attacker crafts a malicious archive containing directory traversal sequences, the tool's extraction process will follow these paths and write files to arbitrary locations on the filesystem, potentially compromising the integrity of the entire security infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1078.004 which addresses "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts" as attackers can use such flaws to establish persistence or gain unauthorized access to system resources. The exploitation typically occurs when the security tool processes archives from untrusted sources, making it a significant concern for organizations that rely heavily on automated dependency checking as part of their security posture.
The recommended mitigations for CVE-2018-12036 involve immediate upgrading to OWASP Dependency-Check version 3.2.0 or later, which includes proper path validation and sanitization measures. Organizations should implement additional security controls such as running the tool in restricted environments with limited write permissions, validating all input archives through multiple security layers before processing, and implementing network segmentation to limit potential impact. The fix implemented in version 3.2.0 addresses the root cause by implementing proper path validation that prevents directory traversal sequences from being processed during archive extraction. Security teams should also consider implementing automated scanning of third-party libraries and dependencies to identify potentially malicious archives before they are processed by security tools. Additional protective measures include configuring the tool to run with minimal privileges, implementing file system monitoring to detect unauthorized file modifications, and establishing incident response procedures for detecting potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also review their security tooling configurations and ensure that dependency checking processes are not executed with elevated privileges that could amplify the impact of such vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of the updated tool in staging environments to ensure that legitimate archive processing continues to function correctly while preventing the directory traversal exploit.