🚀 Lab Solved: File Path Traversal — Absolute Path Bypass

Successfully completed the "File path traversal, traversal sequences blocked with absolute path bypass" lab from PortSwigger Web Security Academy.

Summary

• Vulnerability: File Path Traversal
• Technique: Absolute Path Bypass
• Affected Endpoint: GET /image?filename=
• Payload Used: /etc/passwd

Result The application accepted an absolute file path and returned the contents of the Linux /etc/passwd file, demonstrating that user-controlled input was not properly restricted to the intended directory.

Security Impact

• Unauthorized access to sensitive server files
• Information disclosure
• Potential reconnaissance for further attacks

Key Lesson Applications should strictly validate file paths, restrict access to an allowlist of expected files, and enforce server-side controls to prevent directory traversal and arbitrary file access.

This exercise was performed in a controlled lab environment for educational purposes only.

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