CVE-2024-55970 identifies a directory traversal vulnerability in the File Manager feature of Syncfusion Essential Studio for ASP.NET MVC versions before 27.1.55. The vulnerability arises due to insufficient validation or sanitization of a request parameter that controls file paths, allowing attackers to traverse directories and access files outside the intended directory boundaries. This is a classic CWE-22 issue where the application fails to properly restrict pathname inputs. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction, making it highly accessible to attackers. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive files on the server, such as configuration files, source code, or other protected data. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating a high severity level primarily due to the network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. The impact is limited to confidentiality, with no direct effects on integrity or availability. No patches are explicitly linked yet, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. However, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations using the affected Syncfusion component in their ASP.NET MVC applications, especially those exposing the File Manager functionality to untrusted users or the internet.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-55970 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information due to directory traversal. Attackers can read arbitrary files on the server, potentially exposing credentials, configuration files, source code, or other confidential data. This can lead to further attacks such as privilege escalation, lateral movement, or data breaches. Since the vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability, it does not directly allow modification or disruption of services. However, the confidentiality breach alone can have severe consequences, including regulatory non-compliance, loss of customer trust, and financial penalties. Organizations with publicly accessible ASP.NET MVC applications using vulnerable Syncfusion versions are at risk, especially if the File Manager component is enabled and accessible without proper access controls. The ease of exploitation and lack of authentication requirements increase the threat level globally.

1. Upgrade Syncfusion Essential Studio for ASP.NET MVC to version 27.1.55 or later where the vulnerability is fixed. 2. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict access to the File Manager component by implementing strong authentication and authorization controls, ensuring only trusted users can access it. 3. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block directory traversal patterns in request parameters. 4. Sanitize and validate all user-supplied input related to file paths rigorously to prevent traversal sequences such as '../'. 5. Conduct thorough code reviews and security testing on custom integrations of the File Manager to identify and remediate similar path traversal issues. 6. Monitor logs for suspicious access patterns or attempts to access sensitive files outside the intended directories. 7. Implement least privilege principles on the server file system to limit the impact of any unauthorized file access. 8. Educate development and security teams about CWE-22 and secure coding practices related to file path handling.