Weakness (CWE)
CWE-36: Absolute Path Traversal
The product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize absolute path sequences such as "/abs/path" that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory.
How to prevent it (3 mitigations)
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Implementation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
When performing input validation, consider all potentially relevant properties, including length, type of input, the full range of acceptable values, missing or extra inputs, syntax, consistency across related fields, and conformance to business rules. As an example of business rule logic, "boat" may be syntactically valid because it only contains alphanumeric characters, but it is not valid if the input is only expected to contain colors such as "red" or "blue."
Do not rely exclusively on looking for malicious or malformed inputs. This is likely to miss at least one undesirable input, especially if the code's environment changes. This can give attackers enough room to bypass the intended validation. However, denylists can be useful for detecting potential attacks or determining which inputs are so malformed that they should be rejected outright.
When validating filenames, use stringent allowlists that limit the character set to be used. If feasible, only allow a single "." character in the filename to avoid weaknesses such as CWE-23, and exclude directory separators such as "/" to avoid CWE-36. Use a list of allowable file extensions, which will help to avoid CWE-434.
Do not rely exclusively on a filtering mechanism that removes potentially dangerous characters. This is equivalent to a denylist, which may be incomplete (CWE-184). For example, filtering "/" is insufficient protection if the filesystem also supports the use of "\" as a directory separator. Another possible error could occur when the filtering is applied in a way that still produces dangerous data (CWE-182). For example, if "../" sequences are removed from the ".../...//" string in a sequential fashion, two instances of "../" would be removed from the original string, but the remaining characters would still form the "../" string.
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Implementation
Inputs should be decoded and canonicalized to the application's current internal representation before being validated (CWE-180). Make sure that the application does not decode the same input twice (CWE-174). Such errors could be used to bypass allowlist validation schemes by introducing dangerous inputs after they have been checked.
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Operation
Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth [REF-1481].
Source: MITRE CWE-36
10 results · Clear filters · Feed
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Medium 5.5CVE-2026-47630 Public exploit
NVIDIA Triton Inference Server for Linux contains a vulnerability where an attacker could cause an absolute path traver…
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Medium 6.5CVE-2026-4782 Public exploit
Avada Builder <= 3.15.2 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary File Read via 'custom_svg' Shortcode Parameter
The Avada Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read in all versions up to, and including, 3.15.2 via the 'fusion_get_svg_from_file' function with the 'custom_svg' parameter of the 'fusion_section_separator' shortcode. This makes it pos…
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High 8.1
MindsDB has improper sanitation of filepath that leads to information disclosure and DOS
MindsDB is a platform for building artificial intelligence from enterprise data. Prior to version 25.11.1, an unauthenticated path traversal in the file upload API lets any caller read arbitrary files from the server filesystem and move them into MindsDB’s st…
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High 8.7
Path Traversal Vulnerability
A security vulnerability has been identified that allows remote attackers to perform unauthorized file system access through a path traversal issue. The vulnerability may lead to remote code execution.
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Medium 5.0CVE-2025-53392 Public exploit
In Netgate pfSense CE 2.8.0, the "WebCfg - Diagnostics: Command" privilege allows reading arbitrary files via diag_comm…
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High 7.7CVE-2025-46822 Public exploit
Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read via Absolute Path
OsamaTaher/Java-springboot-codebase is a collection of Java and Spring Boot code snippets, applications, and projects. Prior to commit c835c6f7799eacada4c0fc77e0816f250af01ad2, insufficient path traversal mechanisms make absolute path traversal possible. This…
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High 8.6
NAKIVO Backup & Replication before 11.0.0.88174 allows absolute path traversal for reading files via getImageByPath to …
KEV Mar 19, 2025 -
Critical 9.8
Path traversal issue in Deep Java Library
A path traversal issue in ZipUtils.unzip and TarUtils.untar in Deep Java Library (DJL) on all platforms allows a bad actor to write files to arbitrary locations.
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Critical 9.8
Absolute path traversal in Ivanti EPM before the 2024 January-2025 Security Update and 2022 SU6 January-2025 Security U…
KEV Mar 10, 2025 -
High 7.8
In WinRAR versions prior to and including 5.61, There is path traversal vulnerability when crafting the filename field …
KEV Feb 15, 2022