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Websphere Application ServerApplication · Ibm

CVE-2012-3305

MEDIUM · 6.4 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-09-25
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Directory traversal vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1 before 6.1.0.47, 7.0 before 7.0.0.25, 8.0 before 8.0.0.5, and 8.5 before 8.5.0.1 allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a crafted application file.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Directory traversal vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files on the server filesystem by uploading a crafted application file containing path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../). This enables unauthorized file write access to locations outside the intended application deployment directory.

MitigationApply the appropriate IBM WebSphere patch: upgrade to version 6.1.0.47, 7.0.0.25, 8.0.0.5, 8.5.0.1 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict application file upload functionality and monitor for suspicious file creation patterns in non-application directories.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Websphere Application ServerApplication
Affected:= 6.1= 6.1.0= 6.1.0.0= 6.1.0.1= 6.1.0.2= 6.1.0.3= 6.1.0.4= 6.1.0.10= 6.1.0.11= 6.1.0.12= 6.1.0.13= 6.1.0.14

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:P

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the WebSphere Application Server version
    Check the version file typically located at $WAS_HOME/aboutWebSphere.html, or use the wsadmin script: wsadmin -conntype SOAP -c "print AdminTask.getServerInfo()" to retrieve version details.
    Affected if The installed version matches any of: 6.1, 6.1.0, 6.1.0.0, 6.1.0.1, 6.1.0.2, 6.1.0.3, 6.1.0.4, 6.1.0.10, 6.1.0.11, 6.1.0.12, 6.1.0.13, or 6.1.0.14.
  2. Confirm application installation capability is enabled
    Verify that the WebSphere administrative console or wsadmin allows installation of new applications. Check the administrative security configuration and whether the admin console is accessible for application deployment.
    Affected if Administrative access to install applications is available and application deployment features are enabled on the server.
  3. Inspect for unexpected files outside deployment directories
    Search the filesystem for files created in system directories (such as /, /etc, /Windows/System32 on Windows, or the WebSphere root directory) that should not exist there. Use commands like find / -newer /opt/IBM/WebSphere -type f on Unix or review file creation timestamps in non-deployment paths.
    Affected if Files exist in directories outside the typical WebSphere application deployment paths (typically under the installedApps or cells directories) and were created after the WebSphere installation date.
  4. Review application upload and deployment logs for path traversal patterns
    Examine SystemOut.log, SystemErr.log, and native_stderr.log files in the WebSphere logs directory for entries containing ../ sequences or references to files being written outside the appdeploy directory during application installation.
    Affected if Logs contain deployment records showing file writes with ../ path sequences or installation attempts targeting unexpected filesystem locations.

You are affected if WebSphere Application Server version 6.1.x up to 6.1.0.14 is installed AND the application deployment or upload functionality is enabled, allowing an attacker to potentially write files outside the intended deployment directory.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the appropriate IBM WebSphere patch: upgrade to version 6.1.0.47, 7.0.0.25, 8.0.0.5, 8.5.0.1 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict application file upload functionality and monitor for suspicious file creation patterns in non-application directories.

Fix this in Websphere Application Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-3305 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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