CVE-2022-31540 in hin-eng-preprocessing
Summary
by MITRE • 07/11/2022
The kumardeepak/hin-eng-preprocessing repository through 2019-07-16 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-2022-31540 resides within the kumardeepak/hin-eng-preprocessing repository hosted on GitHub, specifically affecting versions through 2019-07-16. This repository appears to be a preprocessing tool for Hindi-English language data, but it contains a critical security flaw that stems from improper handling of file operations within a Flask web application framework. The vulnerability manifests through the unsafe usage of Flask's send_file function, which is a core component for serving files to users in web applications.
The technical flaw represents a path traversal vulnerability that occurs when the Flask application processes user-supplied file paths without proper validation or sanitization. When developers utilize Flask's send_file function with unsanitized input, they create an opportunity for attackers to manipulate the file path parameter to access files outside of the intended directory structure. This weakness directly maps to CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The vulnerability allows adversaries to bypass normal access controls and potentially read sensitive files from the server's file system that should remain protected.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for any user or system administrator who might interact with the repository's web interface. Attackers could exploit this flaw to access configuration files, source code, database credentials, or other sensitive data that might be stored on the same server. The vulnerability could potentially lead to data exfiltration, system compromise, or further escalation attacks. In the context of the repository's purpose for preprocessing language data, an attacker might gain access to training datasets, intermediate processing files, or other intellectual property that could be valuable for competitive advantage or malicious purposes.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and sanitization for all file path parameters. Developers should avoid passing user input directly to Flask's send_file function and instead implement strict path validation that ensures file access remains within designated directories. The recommended approach involves using secure path construction techniques, such as resolving absolute paths against a whitelist of allowed directories, implementing proper access control checks, and utilizing secure file handling libraries that prevent path traversal attacks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing the principle of least privilege for web applications and regularly audit their code for similar patterns that might introduce similar vulnerabilities. This remediation strategy aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers the exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications, and emphasizes the importance of secure coding practices in preventing such attacks. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of following secure coding guidelines for web frameworks and the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle.