CVE-2018-1263 in Spring-integration-zip
Summary
by MITRE
Addresses partial fix in CVE-2018-1261. Pivotal spring-integration-zip, versions prior to 1.0.2, exposes an arbitrary file write vulnerability, that can be achieved using a specially crafted zip archive (affects other archives as well, bzip2, tar, xz, war, cpio, 7z), that holds path traversal filenames. So when the filename gets concatenated to the target extraction directory, the final path ends up outside of the target folder.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-1263 represents a critical path traversal flaw within Pivotal Spring Integration Zip component versions prior to 1.0.2. This issue stems from an incomplete remediation of a previously identified vulnerability CVE-2018-1261, creating a persistent security gap that allows attackers to manipulate file extraction processes. The flaw specifically affects archive handling mechanisms that process various archive formats including zip, bzip2, tar, xz, war, cpio, and 7z archives. The vulnerability operates through the manipulation of filenames within these archives, where specially crafted path traversal sequences can bypass security controls designed to contain file extraction within designated directories. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-22, known as "Path Traversal," which is classified as a common weakness in software security that occurs when applications fail to properly validate or sanitize file paths during operations such as file extraction or decompression. The security implications extend beyond simple file access violations, as this flaw can enable attackers to write files to arbitrary locations on the filesystem, potentially leading to privilege escalation, code execution, or system compromise.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious archive containing filenames with directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ gets processed by the vulnerable Spring Integration Zip component. During the extraction process, the component concatenates these malicious filenames directly to the target extraction directory without proper sanitization or validation. When the final path is constructed, it resolves to a location outside the intended target directory, allowing an attacker to write files to unauthorized locations on the system. This process demonstrates a classic path traversal attack vector where the attacker manipulates the path resolution mechanism to escape the designated extraction boundaries. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects multiple archive formats, expanding the attack surface and making it more difficult to defend against comprehensively. The implementation flaw lies in the lack of proper path validation and normalization routines that should have been applied to all extracted filenames before they are used to construct file paths. This weakness is consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which involves the use of archive files to deliver malicious payloads, and T1078, which covers legitimate credentials and valid accounts as a means of accessing systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-1263 can be severe for organizations relying on Spring Integration components for processing user-uploaded or third-party archives. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to overwrite critical system files, inject malicious code into existing applications, or create backdoor access points within the system. The vulnerability particularly affects web applications and services that process user-supplied archives, making it a prime target for exploitation in scenarios involving file upload functionality, automated processing pipelines, or content distribution systems. Organizations may experience unauthorized data modification, service disruption, or complete system compromise depending on the privileges of the processing application. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple archive formats means that traditional defenses focused on specific archive types may be insufficient, requiring comprehensive remediation across all affected components. Security monitoring and detection become challenging because the malicious activity may appear as legitimate file operations within the application logs, making it difficult to distinguish between normal and malicious file operations without proper validation controls. The vulnerability also represents a significant risk in containerized environments where improper file handling could lead to privilege escalation attacks against container runtime environments or host systems, particularly when applications process archives from untrusted sources. Organizations implementing defense-in-depth strategies should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security posture assessment, especially in environments where automated file processing is common.