The product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize "/../" sequences that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory.
View on MITREThis allows attackers to traverse the file system to access files or directories that are outside of the restricted directory. Sometimes a program checks for "../" at the beginning of the input, so a "/../" can bypass that check.
No mitigation information available for this CWE.
No detection method information available for this CWE.
A cloud management tool allows attackers to bypass the restricted shell using path traversal sequences like "/../" in the USER environment variable.
View DetailsCWE-25: Path Traversal: '/../filedir' is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize "/../" sequences that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory. This allows attackers to traverse the file system to access files or directories that are outside of the restricted directory. Sometimes a program checks for "../" at the beginning of the input, so a "/../" can bypass that check.
If exploited, CWE-25 (Path Traversal: '/../filedir') it can compromise Confidentiality and Integrity, leading to outcomes such as Read Files or Directories and Modify Files or Directories.
CWE-25 commonly affects Not Language-Specific. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.
MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-25, including CVE-2022-20775. You can look up the full details of each CVE, including CVSS scores and remediation guidance, on our CVE Lookup tool.
A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-25 describes a category of software weakness — the underlying flaw type. A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifies a specific, real-world vulnerability in a particular product. In short, a CWE is the kind of mistake, and a CVE is an instance of that mistake being found in software.