CVE-2018-16716

A path traversal vulnerability exists in viewcgi.c in the 2.0.7 through 2.2.26 legacy versions of the NCBI ToolBox, which may result in reading of arbitrary…

published May 2, 2019

CVSS
—
EPSS
9%
Percentile
95.1
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚠️ A sneaky path traversal vulnerability is creeping around in NCBI ToolBox versions 2.0.7 to 2.2.26! Just like a delivery driver misreading an address and ending up at the wrong location, this flaw could let attackers access or delete sensitive files. 🚪💻 Imagine a mail carrier getting a letter without checking the address. If they just deliver it anywhere, you could end up with someone else's package—and that package could be your private data! This vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the query string to access arbitrary files, leading to potential information leaks or even file deletions. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to read sensitive files on the server, or worse, delete critical files, leading to major disruptions. The potential for significant information disclosure is absolutely devastating, as your private data might be just a malicious request away!

Put simply

Imagine a mail carrier getting a letter without checking the address. If they just deliver it anywhere, you could end up with someone else's package—and that package could be your private data! This vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the query string to access arbitrary files, leading to potential information leaks or even file deletions. This path traversal vulnerability in viewcgi.c allows attackers to manipulate the nph-viewgif.cgi query string to read or delete arbitrary files from the server, bypassing the intended file access restrictions.

What to do

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to read sensitive files on the server, or worse, delete critical files, leading to major disruptions. The potential for significant information disclosure is absolutely devastating, as your private data might be just a malicious request away! To safeguard your systems, upgrade to the latest version of the NCBI ToolBox that's patched for this vulnerability. Ensure proper input validation and restrict file access permissions to mitigate potential exploitation. You've got this! By taking these steps, you can strengthen your defenses and keep your data safe. 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS
Not scored
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.08570 · 95.1th percentile
Published
2019-05-02T19:19Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 02 MAY 19:19Z
    A path traversal vulnerability exists in viewcgi.c in the 2.0.7 through 2.2.26 legacy versions of the NCBI ToolBox, which may result in reading of arbitrary…
    cvelistv5