CVE-2019-25098 in eXtplorer
Summary
by MITRE • 01/09/2023
A vulnerability was found in soerennb eXtplorer up to 2.1.12. It has been classified as critical. This affects an unknown part of the file include/archive.php of the component Archive Handler. The manipulation leads to path traversal. Upgrading to version 2.1.13 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is b8fcb888f4ff5e171c16797a4b075c6c6f50bf46. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier VDB-217437 was assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-25098 represents a critical path traversal flaw within the soerennb eXtplorer file management system version 2.1.12 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the archive.php file within the Archive Handler component, making it a significant concern for systems utilizing this software for file operations and archive management. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate file paths through improper input validation, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive system files and directories beyond the intended scope of the application. Path traversal vulnerabilities of this nature are particularly dangerous as they can expose critical system information and provide attackers with the ability to read, write, or execute arbitrary files on the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input within the archive handling functionality. When processing archive operations, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize file paths, allowing malicious actors to craft specially formatted input that can traverse directory structures. This flaw directly maps to CWE-22 Path Traversal vulnerabilities, which are categorized under the broader category of input validation issues in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The vulnerability's classification as critical reflects the severity of potential impact, as attackers can leverage this weakness to access files outside the application's intended directory structure, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including data exfiltration, system reconnaissance, and potential privilege escalation. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could access sensitive configuration files, database credentials, application source code, and other confidential information stored on the server. The vulnerability's presence in the Archive Handler component suggests that any functionality relying on archive processing could be compromised, affecting backup operations, file compression, and decompression features. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on eXtplorer for file management tasks, as it could provide attackers with a foothold for further system exploitation.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by upgrading to version 2.1.13, which includes the patch identified by the commit hash b8fcb888f4ff5e171c16797a4b075c6c6f50bf46. The upgrade process should be carefully planned and tested to ensure compatibility with existing systems while addressing the path traversal vulnerability. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including input validation, proper access controls, and network segmentation to limit potential damage from exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 File and Directory Discovery, as attackers could use the path traversal capability to enumerate system files and directories. System administrators should conduct thorough security assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement monitoring solutions to detect suspicious file access patterns that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.