CVE-2022-36007 in Venice
Summary
by MITRE • 08/15/2022
Venice is a Clojure inspired sandboxed Lisp dialect with excellent Java interoperability. A partial path traversal issue exists within the functions `load-file` and `load-resource`. These functions can be limited to load files from a list of load paths. Assuming Venice has been configured with the load paths: `[ "/Users/foo/resources" ]` When passing **relative** paths to these two vulnerable functions everything is fine: `(load-resource "test.png")` => loads the file "/Users/foo/resources/test.png" `(load-resource "../resources-alt/test.png")` => rejected, outside the load path When passing **absolute** paths to these two vulnerable functions Venice may return files outside the configured load paths: `(load-resource "/Users/foo/resources/test.png")` => loads the file "/Users/foo/resources/test.png" `(load-resource "/Users/foo/resources-alt/test.png")` => loads the file "/Users/foo/resources-alt/test.png" !!! The latter call suffers from the _Partial Path Traversal_ vulnerability. This issue’s scope is limited to absolute paths whose name prefix matches a load path. E.g. for a load-path `"/Users/foo/resources"`, the actor can cause loading a resource also from `"/Users/foo/resources-alt"`, but not from `"/Users/foo/images"`. Versions of Venice before and including v1.10.17 are affected by this issue. Upgrade to Venice >= 1.10.18, if you are on a version < 1.10.18. There are currently no known workarounds.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/11/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-36007 affects Venice, a Clojure-inspired sandboxed Lisp dialect designed for Java interoperability. This security flaw resides in the load-file and load-resource functions which are responsible for loading files from designated load paths. The issue manifests as a partial path traversal vulnerability that occurs specifically when absolute paths are used with these functions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it undermines the intended security boundaries of the sandboxed environment, potentially allowing unauthorized access to files outside the configured load paths.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from how Venice handles absolute paths in its file loading mechanisms. When Venice is configured with load paths such as ["/Users/foo/resources"], the system correctly rejects attempts to load files outside these boundaries when relative paths are used. However, the flaw emerges when absolute paths are provided where the path prefix matches an existing load path. In such cases, Venice fails to properly validate that the complete path remains within the configured boundaries, allowing attackers to access files from directories that share common prefixes with legitimate load paths. This behavior creates a scenario where an attacker can bypass the intended path restrictions by carefully crafting absolute paths that exploit the partial matching logic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access. It represents a significant security risk in environments where Venice is used for processing untrusted input or where sensitive data resides in adjacent directories. The scope limitation of this vulnerability means that while attackers cannot access arbitrary directories, they can access directories that share common path prefixes with the configured load paths. For instance, with a load path of "/Users/foo/resources", an attacker could potentially access "/Users/foo/resources-alt" but not "/Users/foo/images". This partial traversal capability still poses serious risks as it may allow access to sensitive configuration files, database credentials, or other valuable resources that might be stored in similarly named directories.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal and follows patterns consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python. The issue demonstrates how sandboxed environments can still be vulnerable to path manipulation attacks when proper input validation is not implemented. The vulnerability affects all versions of Venice prior to and including v1.10.17, making it critical for users to upgrade to version 1.10.18 or later. The lack of known workarounds means that organizations must rely entirely on the official patch to remediate this security gap. The vulnerability represents a failure in input sanitization and path validation within the file loading subsystem, highlighting the importance of robust security controls even in sandboxed environments where such protections are expected to be inherent.