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Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

CVE-2023-27534

Severity High
Score 8.8/10

Summary

A path traversal vulnerability exists in curl 7.18.0 through 7.88.1 SFTP implementation causes the tilde "(~)" character to be wrongly replaced when used as a prefix in the first path element, in addition to its intended use as the first element to indicate a path relative to the user's home directory. Attackers can exploit this flaw to bypass filtering or execute arbitrary code by crafting a path like "/~2/foo" while accessing a server with a specific user.

  • LOW
  • NETWORK
  • HIGH
  • UNCHANGED
  • NONE
  • LOW
  • HIGH
  • HIGH

CWE-22 - Path Traversal

Path traversal (or directory traversal), is a vulnerability that allows malicious users to traverse the server's root directory, gaining access to arbitrary files and folders such as application code & data, back-end credentials, and sensitive operating system files. In the worst-case scenario, an attacker could potentially execute arbitrary files on the server, resulting in a denial of service attack. Such an exploit may severely impact the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of an application.

Advisory Timeline

  • Published