CVE-2026-64967 in ATutor
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2026
A path traversal vulnerability in ATutor's error log viewer allows an attacker with administrative privileges to access arbitrary files outside the intended logs directory. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files and other resources accessible to the web server process.
Product is no longer actively supported and the vulnerabilities have not been fixed. Only version 2.2.4 was tested and confirmed as vulnerable, other versions were not tested but might also be vulnerable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2026
The vulnerability identified in ATutor represents a critical path traversal flaw within its error log viewer component, specifically affecting systems running the software under administrative privileges. This security defect allows an authenticated attacker with administrator rights to manipulate file paths used by the application when viewing logs. By injecting directory traversal sequences into the input parameters, the attacker can bypass the intended restriction that confines access strictly to the designated logs directory. Consequently, this enables the reading of arbitrary files located anywhere on the server's filesystem where the web server process has read permissions. The impact is severe as it facilitates unauthorized disclosure of sensitive configuration files, source code, credential stores, and other critical resources that are not meant for public or administrative viewing through this specific interface.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory. The root cause lies in the insufficient sanitization or validation of user-supplied input before it is processed by the file system operations within the error log viewer module. Although the vulnerability requires administrative privileges for exploitation, which typically limits the attack surface compared to unauthenticated flaws, it still poses a significant risk due to the high level of trust associated with admin accounts. If an administrator account is compromised through other means such as phishing or weak credentials, this path traversal serves as a powerful post-exploitation tool for lateral movement and deeper system compromise. The attacker can leverage this access to extract database configuration files containing plaintext passwords, PHP source code revealing additional logic flaws, or server environment variables that may expose API keys and internal network topology details.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage. Accessing sensitive files can lead to further exploitation vectors such as remote code execution if the attacker can locate and read writable configuration files or backup archives containing executable scripts. Furthermore, since ATutor is a learning management system often deployed in educational institutions handling personally identifiable information (PII), the exposure of user data through this vector constitutes a direct violation of privacy regulations like GDPR or FERPA depending on the jurisdiction. The ability to access arbitrary files also aids attackers in mapping the server environment, identifying installed software versions, and discovering other potential vulnerabilities within the underlying operating system or web server configuration that are not directly exposed through the application interface.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must prioritize immediate remediation given the critical nature of the flaw and the lack of active support from the vendor. Since ATutor is no longer actively supported and patches have not been released, organizations relying on version 2.2.4 or potentially other untested versions should consider migrating to a modern, maintained learning management system that receives regular security updates. If migration is not immediately feasible, strict access controls must be implemented at the network level to restrict administrative interfaces from external networks, ensuring they are only accessible via secure internal channels with multi-factor authentication enabled. Additionally, implementing Web Application Firewall rules can help detect and block path traversal attempts by filtering out common directory traversal sequences such as dot-dot-slash in HTTP requests targeting log viewing endpoints. File system permissions should also be hardened to ensure the web server process operates under a restricted user account with minimal read privileges, limiting the scope of files that could potentially be accessed even if this vulnerability is exploited. Regular audits and monitoring for unusual file access patterns can provide early detection indicators of exploitation attempts.