CVE-2018-9014 in dsmall
Summary
by MITRE
dsmall v20180320 allows physical path leakage via a public/index.php/home/predeposit/index.html?pdr_sn= request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9014 affects the dsmall e-commerce platform version 20180320 and represents a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes sensitive physical file paths to unauthorized users. This vulnerability manifests through a specific request pattern where attackers can manipulate the parameter pdr_sn within the URL path public/index.php/home/predeposit/index.html?pdr_sn= to trigger path leakage behavior. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and improper error handling mechanisms within the application's routing and file access systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters before processing them in file system operations. When the pdr_sn parameter is submitted through the specified URL structure, the application's internal processing logic does not adequately filter or validate the input, allowing malicious users to inject path traversal sequences or direct file system access requests. This misconfiguration results in the application inadvertently revealing absolute physical file paths, directory structures, and potentially sensitive system information to anyone who can access the vulnerable endpoint. The vulnerability falls under the category of path traversal attacks and aligns with CWE-22 - Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked physical paths can provide attackers with critical system architecture insights that facilitate more sophisticated attacks. Cyber adversaries can leverage this information to plan targeted exploitation strategies, including directory traversal attacks, file inclusion vulnerabilities, or system reconnaissance activities. The exposure of file system paths enables attackers to craft more precise attacks against the application's underlying infrastructure and can potentially lead to privilege escalation or data exfiltration. This vulnerability particularly affects the application's security posture by reducing the attack surface complexity for threat actors and providing them with direct access to internal system structures.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, parameter sanitization, and proper access controls to prevent unauthorized path traversal attempts. The recommended approach involves implementing strict input validation for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in file system operations, and ensuring that all paths are properly normalized and validated against a whitelist of acceptable values. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious path traversal patterns, and conduct thorough code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of adhering to security best practices such as the principle of least privilege and proper error handling, as outlined in the mitre ATT&CK framework's defense in depth strategies. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar information disclosure vulnerabilities across the entire application ecosystem.