CVE-2023-36301 in Data Catalog
Summary
by MITRE • 06/26/2023
Talend Data Catalog before 8.0-20230221 contain a directory traversal vulnerability in HeaderImageServlet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-36301 affects Talend Data Catalog versions prior to 8.0-20230221 and stems from a directory traversal flaw within the HeaderImageServlet component. This issue represents a critical security weakness that allows attackers to manipulate file paths and potentially access sensitive system resources or files that should remain protected. The vulnerability manifests when the application processes requests containing specially crafted file path parameters, enabling unauthorized access to the underlying file system.
The technical implementation of this directory traversal vulnerability occurs through the HeaderImageServlet's insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms. When user-supplied data is directly incorporated into file system operations without proper validation, attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ into the request parameters. This allows them to navigate beyond the intended directory boundaries and access files that are not meant to be publicly accessible. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, as it can potentially lead to complete system compromise when combined with other attack vectors. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain access to sensitive configuration files, database credentials, application source code, or other confidential data stored within the system's file structure. The implications are particularly severe in data catalog environments where sensitive information about data assets, schemas, and access controls are managed, as this could expose critical metadata and potentially lead to data breaches or lateral movement within the network infrastructure.
Organizations using affected Talend Data Catalog versions should immediately implement mitigations to protect their systems from exploitation. The primary and most effective mitigation involves upgrading to Talend Data Catalog version 8.0-20230221 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this directory traversal vulnerability. Additionally, network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to monitor and block suspicious path traversal patterns in incoming requests. Input validation should be strengthened at the application level by implementing proper parameter sanitization, canonicalization of file paths, and enforcing strict access controls. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual file access patterns and attempts to traverse directory structures that would not normally occur during legitimate system operations.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566 Phishing, as attackers may use this weakness to gain initial access or escalate privileges. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK's T1213 Data from Information Repositories, as it provides unauthorized access to repository contents that may contain sensitive data. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify all instances of the vulnerable software and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to prevent similar issues from arising in the future. The incident highlights the critical importance of validating all user inputs and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against path traversal attacks that can compromise entire system infrastructures.