CISA urges software devs to weed out path traversal vulnerabilities

CISA urges software devs to weed out path traversal vulnerabilities

May 2, 2024 at 03:44PM

CISA and the FBI warn software companies about path traversal vulnerabilities in recent alert due to security risks like file manipulation, data access, and system takedown. They urge implementing preventive measures, and they recall previous exploits in essential sectors. Similarly, the agencies previously addressed SQL injection vulnerabilities and emphasized the need for secure software design.

From the meeting notes, it is clear that CISA and the FBI are urging software companies to address path traversal security vulnerabilities before shipping their products due to the potential for exploitation by threat actors. These vulnerabilities can allow attackers to access sensitive data, compromise targeted systems, and affect critical infrastructure sectors, such as Healthcare and Public Health. The federal agencies have provided specific recommendations for mitigating these vulnerabilities, including generating random file identifiers, restricting the types of characters in file names, and ensuring that uploaded files do not have executable permissions. It is also mentioned that path vulnerabilities are significant, ranking eighth in MITRE’s top 25 most dangerous software weaknesses. Additionally, it is noted that CISA and the FBI had previously issued an alert regarding SQL injection security vulnerabilities, highlighting the importance of addressing such weaknesses in software development.

Full Article