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Directory traversal attack
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<p>A directory traversal (or path traversal) attack <a href="/facts/Security_exploit/EdlqsRJM">exploits</a> insufficient security validation or sanitization of user-supplied file names, such that characters representing "traverse to parent directory" are passed through to the operating system's <a href="/facts/File_system_API/NzsgC77d">file system API</a>. An affected application can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to the <a href="/facts/File_system/FdPm90uc">file system</a>. </p>