CVE-2025-60574: Webair tQuadra CMS Path Traversal Flaw

CVE-2025-60574 Overview

A Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability has been identified in tQuadra CMS version 4.2.1117. The vulnerability exists in the /styles/ path, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input. An attacker can exploit this flaw by sending a crafted GET request to retrieve arbitrary files from the underlying system, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files, credentials, and other critical data.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can read arbitrary files from the server, including sensitive configuration files, application source code, and system files like /etc/passwd, leading to significant information disclosure and potential further exploitation.

Affected Products

• Webair tQuadra CMS version 4.2.1117

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-11-07 - CVE-2025-60574 published to NVD
• 2025-12-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-60574

Vulnerability Analysis

This Local File Inclusion vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation in the /styles/ endpoint of tQuadra CMS. The application accepts user-controlled input that is used to construct file paths without proper sanitization, allowing attackers to traverse the file system using directory traversal sequences such as ../. This enables unauthorized access to files outside the intended web root directory.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, commonly known as Path Traversal). Exploitation requires no authentication or user interaction, making it accessible to any network-based attacker who can reach the vulnerable endpoint.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the failure to sanitize or validate user-supplied input before using it in file system operations. The /styles/ path handler directly incorporates user input into file path construction without filtering dangerous characters or sequences like ../, ..\\, or URL-encoded variants. This allows attackers to escape the intended directory context and access arbitrary files on the server.

Attack Vector

The attack is executed via a network-based vector requiring no privileges or user interaction. An attacker crafts a malicious GET request to the /styles/ endpoint, embedding directory traversal sequences to navigate outside the web application's root directory. The vulnerable application processes this request and returns the contents of the requested file, exposing sensitive system or application data.

The exploitation technique involves appending path traversal sequences (such as ../../../etc/passwd) to the vulnerable endpoint URL. When the server processes this request without proper validation, it reads and returns files from locations the attacker should not have access to. A proof-of-concept demonstrating this vulnerability is available in the GitHub PoC Repository.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-60574

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP GET requests to /styles/ containing path traversal sequences such as ../, ..%2f, or %2e%2e/
• Server access logs showing requests for sensitive system files like /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, or application configuration files
• Unusual file access patterns in web application logs indicating attempts to read files outside the web root
• Error logs indicating file access attempts to non-existent or restricted paths

Detection Strategies

• Configure Web Application Firewalls (WAF) to detect and block requests containing path traversal patterns in the URL path and query parameters
• Implement intrusion detection rules to alert on HTTP requests containing encoded or unencoded directory traversal sequences targeting the /styles/ endpoint
• Deploy file integrity monitoring to detect unexpected file access or changes to sensitive system files
• Enable detailed logging for the /styles/ endpoint and analyze for anomalous request patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests to /styles/ with suspicious path patterns
• Set up alerts for high-frequency requests to the vulnerable endpoint from single IP addresses
• Review application logs regularly for path traversal attempt signatures
• Implement real-time security monitoring to detect exploitation attempts as they occur

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-60574

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict access to the vulnerable /styles/ endpoint using web server configuration or firewall rules until a patch is available
• Implement input validation at the web server or reverse proxy level to block requests containing path traversal sequences
• Review and harden file system permissions to limit the web application's access to only necessary directories
• Consider temporarily disabling the vulnerable functionality if it is not business-critical

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no vendor patch information is available. Organizations should monitor the Webair vendor communications for security updates regarding tQuadra CMS. The GitHub PoC Repository may contain additional technical details regarding the vulnerability.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block requests containing ../, ..%2f, %2e%2e/, and similar path traversal patterns in the /styles/ path
• Use web server configuration (such as Apache mod_rewrite or Nginx location blocks) to deny requests matching path traversal patterns
• Implement network segmentation to limit access to the tQuadra CMS application to trusted networks only
• Apply the principle of least privilege to the web application's file system permissions, restricting read access to only required directories

# Example Apache mod_rewrite rule to block path traversal attempts
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/styles/.*(\.\./|%2e%2e) [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]