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CVE-2025-11221: Path Traversal and Unrestricted File Upload Vulnerability in GTONE ChangeFlow

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Overview

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) list has recently been updated with a high-severity security issue, CVE-2025-11221. This vulnerability, classified as a Pathname Traversal and Unrestricted File Upload vulnerability, affects GTONE ChangeFlow software. It allows malicious actors to exploit an improperly constrained file upload mechanism and access restricted directories. The potential impact of this vulnerability is significant as it could lead to a system compromise or data leakage, making it a key concern for organizations using GTONE ChangeFlow.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-11221
Severity: High (CVSS 8.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

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Product | Affected Versions

GTONE ChangeFlow | All versions through v9.0.1.1

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability stems from ChangeFlow’s insufficient security mechanisms in handling file uploads and directory access. An attacker can exploit this by uploading a file with a malicious payload and manipulating the file path. This allows them to traverse the file system and access restricted directories. Given the lack of proper Access Control Lists (ACLs), the attacker can execute the uploaded file leading to potential system compromise or leakage of sensitive data.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This example shows a HTTP POST request where an attacker uploads a malicious file and modifies the file path to access restricted directories.

POST /uploadfile HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=----WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
----WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; filename="../../etc/passwd"
Content-Type: text/plain
{ "malicious_payload": "..." }
----WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW--

In the above example, the attacker is attempting to overwrite the “/etc/passwd” file, a critical system file in Unix-based systems, with their malicious payload.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability involves applying the patch provided by the vendor or using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary measure. It’s highly recommended to apply the patch as soon as it’s available to avoid potential system compromise or data leakage.

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Disclaimer:

The information and code presented in this article are provided for educational and defensive cybersecurity purposes only. Any conceptual or pseudocode examples are simplified representations intended to raise awareness and promote secure development and system configuration practices.

Do not use this information to attempt unauthorized access or exploit vulnerabilities on systems that you do not own or have explicit permission to test.

Ameeba and its authors do not endorse or condone malicious behavior and are not responsible for misuse of the content. Always follow ethical hacking guidelines, responsible disclosure practices, and local laws.
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