CVE-2025-40898 in Guardian
Summary
by MITRE • 12/18/2025
A path traversal vulnerability was discovered in the Import Arc data archive functionality due to insufficient validation of the input file. An authenticated user with limited privileges, by uploading a specifically-crafted Arc data archive, can potentially write arbitrary files in arbitrary paths, altering the device configuration and/or affecting its availability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical path traversal flaw within the Import Arc data archive functionality of the affected system. The issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize file paths contained within Arc archives during the import process. When an authenticated user uploads a maliciously crafted archive, the system processes the file contents without sufficient verification of the intended destination paths, creating an opportunity for unauthorized file system manipulation. The vulnerability specifically targets the archive extraction logic where file paths are directly interpreted without proper sanitization or normalization checks. This allows an attacker to exploit the system's file handling mechanisms to write files outside of the intended directory structure, potentially compromising system integrity and availability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with common path traversal attack patterns documented in the CWE database under CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory. The flaw demonstrates characteristics of CWE-73, which covers improper control of filename for a path, where the system fails to properly validate or sanitize file paths during archive processing operations. This vulnerability can be leveraged by attackers to perform arbitrary file writes across the file system, potentially allowing them to overwrite critical system files, inject malicious code, or modify device configuration parameters. The impact extends beyond simple data corruption as it can lead to complete system compromise or denial of service conditions when critical system components are modified or deleted.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability poses significant risk to system availability and integrity since it requires only authenticated access with limited privileges to execute potentially devastating actions. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it operates through legitimate system functionality, making detection more difficult and allowing the attacker to remain within normal operational parameters. The vulnerability affects the system's ability to maintain proper access controls and file system boundaries, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. The potential for arbitrary file modification means that attackers could introduce backdoors, modify system binaries, or corrupt configuration files that could lead to persistent compromise or service disruption. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where system administrators rely on the integrity of file system operations and automated processes.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms for all file paths within archive processing operations. The system should enforce strict path normalization and validation, ensuring that extracted file paths remain within designated directories and do not contain traversal sequences such as "../" or "..\". Security controls should include mandatory path validation during archive extraction, implementation of whitelist-based file path acceptance, and enforcement of proper access controls to limit the impact of any successful exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring for unusual file system modifications and establish comprehensive logging of archive import operations. The solution aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential access, as attackers may leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access or escalate privileges through file system manipulation. Regular security assessments and input validation testing should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other system components that handle file archive processing or user-uploaded content.