CVE-2025-65792: Datagear Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2025-65792 Overview

DataGear v5.5.0 contains a critical Arbitrary File Deletion vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to delete arbitrary files on the system. This path traversal flaw (CWE-22) enables malicious actors to manipulate file paths and remove critical system or application files, potentially leading to denial of service or facilitating further attacks.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can remotely delete arbitrary files on systems running DataGear v5.5.0, potentially causing complete system unavailability or enabling secondary attacks through removal of security configurations.

Affected Products

• DataGear version 5.5.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-12-10 - CVE-2025-65792 published to NVD
• 2025-12-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-65792

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper input validation in DataGear's file handling mechanisms. The application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied file path parameters, allowing attackers to use path traversal sequences (such as ../) to escape the intended directory structure and target arbitrary files on the filesystem.

The attack requires no authentication and can be executed remotely over the network. While the vulnerability does not directly expose confidential data (no impact on confidentiality), it poses severe risks to both integrity and availability. An attacker can delete critical configuration files, application binaries, or system files, effectively rendering the application or entire system inoperable.

Root Cause

The root cause is classified as CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), commonly known as Path Traversal. DataGear v5.5.0 does not adequately validate or sanitize file path inputs before processing file deletion requests. This allows attackers to craft malicious requests containing directory traversal sequences that bypass intended access restrictions.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploited via network-based requests to the DataGear application. An attacker can send specially crafted HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences in file path parameters. Since no authentication or user interaction is required, any attacker with network access to the DataGear instance can exploit this vulnerability.

The attack flow typically involves:

1. Identifying the vulnerable file deletion endpoint in DataGear
2. Crafting a malicious request with path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../etc/passwd or ..\..\Windows\System32\config)
3. Submitting the request to delete targeted files outside the intended directory

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the GitHub Issue Tracker Entry and the GitHub Gist Code Snippet.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-65792

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to DataGear containing path traversal sequences such as ../, ..%2f, ..%5c, or ..\
• Unexpected file deletion events in system or application directories
• Missing configuration files, logs, or application components without authorized administrative action
• Application errors or crashes due to missing critical files

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal patterns in HTTP requests
• Monitor web server access logs for requests containing encoded or plain-text directory traversal sequences
• Deploy file integrity monitoring (FIM) solutions to detect unauthorized file deletions
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on suspicious file operation patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on the DataGear application to capture all file operation requests
• Monitor filesystem audit logs for unexpected delete operations, especially in sensitive directories
• Set up alerts for any file deletion activities outside normal application directories
• Implement real-time monitoring of critical configuration and system files

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-65792

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to DataGear instances to trusted networks only until patched
• Implement WAF rules to block requests containing path traversal patterns
• Review and backup critical files and configurations
• Monitor file system activity for any signs of exploitation
• Consider temporarily disabling file management functionality if feasible

Patch Information

As of the last CVE update on 2025-12-17, no official vendor patch has been documented in the CVE data. Organizations should monitor the DataGear GitHub repository for security updates and upgrade to a patched version when available.

Workarounds

• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with path traversal filtering rules in front of DataGear
• Implement strict network segmentation to limit access to DataGear instances
• Run DataGear with minimal filesystem permissions using a dedicated service account
• Use application-level access controls to restrict file operation endpoints to authenticated administrators only
• Consider containerization to limit the blast radius of potential file deletion attacks

# Example WAF rule configuration (ModSecurity)
# Block common path traversal patterns
SecRule REQUEST_URI|ARGS|ARGS_NAMES "@rx (\.\./|\.\.\\)" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    block,\
    msg:'Path Traversal Attack Detected - CVE-2025-65792',\
    severity:'CRITICAL',\
    tag:'application-multi',\
    tag:'attack-lfi'"