ZOO-Project: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
CVE-2025-25284 is a high-severity improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory vulnerability in ZOO-Project, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.7 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected ZOO-Project versions: Commits before 5f155a8. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.63% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 51% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of ZOO-Project you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZOO-Project | ZOO-Project | Commits before 5f155a8 | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- NoneNo loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (github.com).
Official description
The ZOO-Project is an open source processing platform, released under MIT/X11 Licence. A vulnerability in ZOO-Project's WPS (Web Processing Service) implementation allows unauthorized access to files outside the intended directory through path traversal. Specifically, the Gdal_Translate service, when processing VRT (Virtual Format) files, does not properly validate file paths referenced in the VRTRasterBand element, allowing attackers to read arbitrary files on the system. The vulnerability exists because the service doesn't properly sanitize the SourceFilename parameter in VRT files, allowing relative path traversal sequences (../). When combined with VRT's raw data handling capabilities, this allows reading arbitrary files as raw binary data and converting them to TIFF format, effectively exposing their contents. This vulnerability is particularly severe because it allows attackers to read sensitive system files, potentially exposing configuration data, credentials, or other confidential information stored on the server. An unauthenticated attacker can read arbitrary files from the system through path traversal, potentially accessing sensitive information such as configuration files, credentials, or other confidential data stored on the server. The vulnerability requires no authentication and can be exploited remotely through the WPS service. This issue has been addressed in commit `5f155a8` and all users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
- Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth.
More Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities (CWE-22)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in ZOO-Project
- 8.7 High severity
Recent Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
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