CVE-2018-15540 in Cockpit
Summary
by MITRE
Agentejo Cockpit performs actions on files without appropriate validation and therefore allows an attacker to traverse the file system to unintended locations and/or access arbitrary files, aka /media/api Directory Traversal.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15540 affects Agentejo Cockpit, a content management system that suffers from a directory traversal flaw in its media api component. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate file system access through improper input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically resides within the /media/api endpoint where the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before processing file operations. The flaw enables malicious actors to navigate beyond the intended directory structure and access files that should remain restricted, potentially exposing sensitive data or system resources.
This directory traversal vulnerability represents a critical security weakness that aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, also known as path traversal or directory traversal. The flaw operates by accepting user input that contains directory navigation sequences such as ../ or ..\ and processes these without adequate validation or sanitization. The attack vector specifically targets the media api functionality where file operations are performed, allowing unauthorized access to arbitrary files on the server. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and access control mechanisms within the application's file handling processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it could enable attackers to access configuration files, database credentials, application source code, or other sensitive system components. The exploitation of this weakness could lead to complete system compromise, especially when combined with other vulnerabilities or when the application has access to critical system resources. Attackers could leverage this traversal capability to read system files, potentially including password files, configuration databases, or application source code that might reveal additional attack vectors or sensitive information. The vulnerability also poses risks to data integrity and confidentiality, as unauthorized access to files could enable data manipulation or exfiltration.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the application's file handling processes. The most effective approach involves implementing proper path validation that rejects or removes directory traversal sequences from user input before any file operations are performed. Organizations should also implement principle of least privilege access controls, ensuring that the application operates with minimal necessary permissions and that file access is properly restricted. The implementation of secure coding practices including input sanitization, output encoding, and proper access control checks should be enforced throughout the application. Additionally, regular security testing including penetration testing and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1083 - File and Directory Discovery, highlighting the reconnaissance phase where attackers seek to understand system file structures. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and provide additional layers of defense against such attacks.