Nginx off-by-slash exposes Git config

Description

Nginx is one of the most commonly used web servers. We can scan for misconfigurations and security vulnerabilities in Nginx. With the Off-by-slash misconfiguration, it is possible to traverse one step up the path due to a missing slash it is possible to read the source code of the web application. The web server responded with a list of files located in the target directory. An attacker can see the files located in the directory and could potentially access files which disclose sensitive information.

Mitigation measures

• Change your nginx.conf file. A secure configuration for the requested directory similar to the following:

    location /{YOUR DIRECTORY} {
            autoindex off;
    }
   

• Configure the web server to disallow directory listing requests.

• Ensure that the latest security patches have been applied to the web server and the current stable version of the software is in use.

Written by

Febna V M

Cyber Security Engineer