CVE-2022-31537 in Solar-system-simulator
Summary
by MITRE • 07/11/2022
The jmcginty15/Solar-system-simulator repository through 2021-07-26 on GitHub allows absolute path traversal because the Flask send_file function is used unsafely.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-31537 affects the jmcginty15/Solar-system-simulator repository, a web application built using the Flask framework. This repository implements a solar system simulation interface that likely serves static files to users through Flask's send_file function. The security flaw stems from improper handling of file paths within the application's file serving mechanism, creating a path traversal vulnerability that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability exists in versions of the repository up to and including the commit dated 2021-07-26, making it a persistent issue within the codebase that has not been addressed in the affected timeline.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the unsafe usage of Flask's send_file function, which is designed to securely serve files from a specified path. When developers use send_file without proper input validation or path sanitization, they create opportunities for attackers to manipulate file paths and access resources outside of the intended directory structure. The absolute path traversal vulnerability allows an attacker to specify arbitrary file paths that bypass the application's intended file access controls, potentially enabling access to sensitive system files, configuration data, or other resources that should remain protected from user interaction.
This vulnerability presents significant operational impact for any system running the affected solar system simulator application. Attackers could exploit this weakness to access files that contain sensitive information such as database credentials, application configuration files, or system-level data that should not be exposed to end users. The potential for unauthorized data access and information disclosure creates a serious risk for organizations that deploy this application in production environments. Additionally, the vulnerability could serve as a stepping stone for further attacks, as access to system files might reveal additional security weaknesses or provide information useful for privilege escalation attempts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which specifically addresses path traversal flaws in software systems. This classification indicates that the issue stems from inadequate validation of file paths and improper handling of user-supplied input that can manipulate the intended file access behavior. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and reconnaissance activities where attackers attempt to gather information about system components and access restricted resources. The exploitation of this vulnerability could be categorized under the T1083 discovery technique for directory listing and T1566 credential access for potential information gathering from system files.
To mitigate this vulnerability, developers should implement proper input validation and path sanitization before using Flask's send_file function. The application should enforce strict directory restrictions that prevent access to files outside of designated directories, using techniques such as canonicalizing file paths and implementing whitelist-based file access controls. Additionally, developers should consider using Flask's built-in security features such as the send_from_directory function, which provides better path validation compared to direct send_file usage. Regular security reviews of file access mechanisms and input validation procedures should be conducted to prevent similar issues from arising in future development cycles. The repository should also implement proper access controls and authentication mechanisms to limit who can interact with the file serving functionality, reducing the attack surface for path traversal exploits.