An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading a .htaccess file to a site, then injecting code that would be executed in the web server. A .htaccess file is a text file in the root directory of a website that specifies certain server-side configurations, such as which directories the server should serve, or what files cannot be served. Many websites use .htaccess files to control access to their files, such as blocking access to certain directories or files based on the client’s IP address. This attack can be prevented by not editing server-side configuration files such as .htaccess, but that is not always a practical option. Vendors are continually working to keep up with ever-changing attack vectors, and many websites use vendor-supplied configuration files on their own sites. In order to stay up-to-date with the latest security patches and recommendations, website administrators often must use their own servers to update their own site’s configurations.

Executive Summary - Boring But Important Stuff

This vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit a website by injecting code that would be executed in the web server. This attack is prevented by not editing server-side configuration files such as .htaccess, but many websites use vendor-supplied configuration files on their own sites.
Summary: Boring and important stuff from a security perspective.

What Are the Symptoms of this Vulnerability?

If an attacker uploads a .htaccess file to your site, he can execute server-side code that would allow him to perform any number of tasks. For example, an attacker could change the permissions on any files on the system, edit configuration files, or read arbitrary files and directories. This attack can also be accomplished without uploading a .htaccess file. If you do not want this vulnerability to affect your site, then you should make sure to never use .htaccess files for authorization purposes.
This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access and disclosure of sensitive information without prior authentication or authorization. A malicious user could potentially exploit it by uploading a .htaccess file that contains malicious code and then accessing or modifying web server configurations remotely via HTTP requests made with valid credentials.

Vulnerability Information

This vulnerability was disclosed on October 18th, 2018. The CVSS score for this vulnerability is _______.

Timeline

Published on: 03/18/2022 23:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 03/28/2022 15:12:00 UTC

References