Unauthenticated file read via disabled path protection
Published Jan 27, 2026 · Updated Jan 27, 2026
Path traversal in avalanche123 Cassandra Web 0.5.0 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files through crafted URL paths. Sinatra static-file handling receives encoded ../ segments because the application disables Rack::Protection, allowing resolution outside app/public. The server binds to localhost by default, so remote reachability requires a changed bind address or proxy exposure; readable files are limited to the server process permissions and can include Cassandra credentials passed on its command line.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in avalanche123 Cassandra Web 0.5.0 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files through crafted URL paths. Sinatra static-file handling receives encoded ../ segments because the application disables Rack::Protection, allowing resolution outside app/public. The server binds to localhost by default, so remote reachability requires a changed bind address or proxy exposure; readable files are limited to the server process permissions and can include Cassandra credentials passed on its command line.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-36939
- Published
- Jan 27, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 27, 2026
- Vendor
- avalanche123
- Product
- Cassandra Web
- Classifications
- CWE-22, T1190, T1005
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 27, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0.5.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Cassandra Web 0.5.0 Remote File Readfunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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