CVE-2025-11018: Four-Faith Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2025-11018 Overview

CVE-2025-11018 is a path traversal vulnerability [CWE-22] affecting Four-Faith Water Conservancy Informatization Platform version 1.0. The flaw resides in the /sysRole/index.do/../../generalReport/download.do;usrlogout.do.do endpoint, where the fileName parameter is not properly validated. Attackers can manipulate this argument to traverse directories and access files outside the intended scope. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely without authentication or user interaction. Public exploit details have been disclosed, and the vendor did not respond to early disclosure attempts, increasing the risk of opportunistic exploitation against exposed deployments.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can read arbitrary files on affected systems via crafted fileName parameters, potentially exposing sensitive configuration data, credentials, or operational records of water management infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Four-Faith Water Conservancy Informatization Platform 1.0
• Component: four-faith:water_conservancy_informatization
• CPE: cpe:2.3:a:four-faith:water_conservancy_informatization:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-09-26 - CVE-2025-11018 published to NVD
• 2025-10-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-11018

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of path traversal sequences in the file download handler. The affected endpoint accepts a fileName parameter that is passed to a file retrieval routine without canonicalization or sanitization. Attackers supply sequences such as ../ to escape the intended directory and reference arbitrary paths on the host filesystem.

The URL structure /sysRole/index.do/../../generalReport/download.do;usrlogout.do.do also demonstrates an authentication bypass pattern. The trailing ;usrlogout.do.do segment appears to manipulate servlet path matching, allowing the request to reach the protected download.do handler while appearing to target a different endpoint. This dual-purpose payload bypasses access controls and triggers the traversal in one request.

The EPSS score of 0.366% indicates limited current scanning activity, but the public availability of exploit details raises the likelihood of weaponization.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation on the fileName parameter combined with permissive servlet path handling. The application concatenates user input directly into a filesystem path without rejecting traversal sequences or restricting access to a defined download directory. URL path normalization within the servlet container also fails to enforce authentication boundaries when matrix parameters and path manipulation are combined.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication. An attacker sends a single HTTP request to the vulnerable endpoint with a crafted fileName value pointing to a target file. The server reads the file and returns its contents in the HTTP response. Targets include application configuration files, database connection strings, system files such as /etc/passwd, and operational data specific to water management deployments.

No exploitation code is reproduced here. Refer to the GitHub CVE Issue and VulDB entry #325961 for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-11018

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests containing ../ or URL-encoded %2e%2e%2f sequences in the fileName query parameter
• Access patterns targeting /generalReport/download.do with unusual path prefixes such as /sysRole/index.do/../../
• Requests containing matrix parameters like ;usrlogout.do.do appended to handler paths
• Outbound responses returning unexpectedly large file payloads or content-types from the download endpoint

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall rules that block path traversal patterns and matrix parameter abuse on .do endpoints
• Inspect HTTP access logs for the specific URI signature /sysRole/index.do/../../generalReport/download.do
• Correlate unauthenticated download requests against expected user session activity to flag anomalies

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward web server and application logs to a centralized analytics platform with retention sufficient for incident review
• Alert on bursts of 4xx and 2xx responses from the download.do handler originating from a single source IP
• Monitor egress traffic from the application host for unexpected reads of sensitive configuration files

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-11018

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network exposure of the Four-Faith Water Conservancy Informatization Platform to trusted management networks only
• Place the application behind a reverse proxy or WAF that normalizes URLs and blocks ../ sequences before they reach the handler
• Audit web server logs for prior exploitation attempts targeting the fileName parameter
• Rotate any credentials or secrets that may have been stored in files readable by the application user

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on 2025-10-08, no vendor patch has been published. The vendor was contacted prior to disclosure but did not respond. Organizations operating this platform should treat the deployment as unpatched and prioritize compensating controls. Track the VulDB advisory #325961 for vendor response updates.

Workarounds

• Block external access to /generalReport/download.do at the perimeter until a vendor fix is available
• Configure WAF signatures to reject requests containing .., %2e%2e, or matrix parameters on .do endpoints
• Apply strict filesystem permissions so the application service account cannot read sensitive files outside its working directory
• Consider isolating the platform within a segmented network zone with strict egress filtering

# Example NGINX rule to block path traversal on the affected endpoint
location ~* /generalReport/download\.do {
    if ($args ~* "\.\.") { return 403; }
    if ($request_uri ~* "%2e%2e") { return 403; }
    if ($request_uri ~* ";.*\.do") { return 403; }
    proxy_pass http://backend;
}