CVE-2026-16137 in ShareFile Storage Zones Controller
Summary
by MITRE • 08/17/2026
In Progress ShareFile Storage Zones Controller v5.12.5 and below, a party with valid zone credentials can perform path traversal using resumable upload initiation endpoint, allowing the party to write arbitrary content to any location writable by the application's service account. This may result in the execution of attacker-supplied code.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2026
The vulnerability identified in Progress ShareFile Storage Zones Controller versions 5.12.5 and earlier represents a critical security flaw rooted in improper input validation within the resumable upload initiation endpoint. This specific interface, designed to handle large file transfers by breaking them into manageable chunks, fails to adequately sanitize or validate user-supplied path information before processing it for storage operations. The core technical deficiency lies in the application's failure to enforce strict constraints on directory traversal sequences, such as dot-dot-slash characters, within the filename parameters provided during the upload initialization phase. Because the system relies heavily on these inputs to determine where temporary files should be staged or permanently stored, an attacker can manipulate this input to redirect file writes outside of the intended application directories. This lack of canonicalization allows for a classic path traversal attack vector that bypasses standard directory isolation mechanisms inherent in web applications and storage controllers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the privilege level associated with the ShareFile Storage Zones Controller service account. The application typically runs under specific system or service accounts that possess elevated permissions necessary to manage file systems, databases, and network resources. When an authenticated user exploits this path traversal flaw, they are not merely writing files in a public web root but rather leveraging the permissions of the underlying service account. This means that if the attacker can write arbitrary content to locations such as system directories or application configuration folders, they may achieve remote code execution by placing malicious scripts or executables in paths where the operating system will subsequently execute them. Even without immediate code execution, the ability to overwrite critical configuration files could lead to denial of service, data integrity compromise, or further privilege escalation within the network infrastructure hosting the ShareFile environment.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which describes flaws where software does not properly neutralize special elements that can cause paths to be resolved in unintended locations. Furthermore, the exploitation technique maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK tactic T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter under execution techniques, as well as TA0003 Persistence if used for backdoor installation. The requirement of valid zone credentials indicates that this is an authenticated attack vector, categorized under CWE-287: Improper Authentication in some contexts where the authentication mechanism itself might be bypassed or abused, though primarily it reflects a post-authentication authorization and input validation failure. Attackers with legitimate access to the ShareFile interface can leverage their existing session tokens to initiate malicious upload requests without needing additional credential theft steps, making this particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on role-based access controls assuming internal users are trusted actors.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary defense is to apply the vendor-provided patch or update to a version of ShareFile Storage Zones Controller later than 5.12.5, where this input validation logic has been corrected. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible due to operational constraints, network-level controls should be implemented to restrict outbound connections from the storage zone controller and limit inbound access strictly to necessary IP ranges using firewalls or web application firewalls configured with rules specific to blocking path traversal patterns in upload endpoints. Additionally, implementing strict file type validation on the server side ensures that even if a write occurs outside intended directories, only safe file extensions are processed by any subsequent execution engines. Regular auditing of service account permissions is also recommended; adhering to the principle of least privilege means ensuring the ShareFile service account does not have administrative rights over the operating system or access to sensitive configuration paths unless absolutely necessary for its function.