performing-directory-traversal-testing

name	performing-directory-traversal-testing
description	Testing web applications for path traversal vulnerabilities that allow reading or writing arbitrary files on the server by manipulating file path parameters. Use when working with performing directory traversal testing.
domain	cybersecurity
tags	["penetration-testing","directory-traversal","path-traversal","lfi","owasp","web-security"]
subdomain	web-application-security
version	1.0
author	oyi77
license	Apache-2.0
nist_csf	["PR.PS-01","ID.RA-01","PR.DS-10","DE.CM-01"]

Performing Directory Traversal Testing

Overview

Cybersecurity skill for performing directory traversal testing. Follows industry best practices and security standards.

When to Use

Trigger phrases:

• "performing directory traversal testing"

• "Testing web applications for path traversal vulnerabilities that allow reading o"

• During authorized penetration tests when the application handles file paths in URL parameters or request bodies

• When testing file download, file view, or file include functionality

• For assessing Local File Inclusion (LFI) and Remote File Inclusion (RFI) vulnerabilities

• When evaluating template engines, logging systems, or report generators that reference files

• During security assessments of APIs that accept file names or paths as parameters

When NOT to Use

• When you lack proper authorization for testing
• For production systems without change management
• When the task requires legal or compliance expertise beyond technical scope

Prerequisites

• Authorization: Written penetration testing agreement for the target
• Burp Suite Professional: For intercepting and modifying file path parameters
• ffuf: For fuzzing file path parameters with traversal payloads
• dotdotpwn: Automated directory traversal fuzzer (apt install dotdotpwn)
• SecLists: Traversal payload wordlists from Daniel Miessler's collection
• curl: For manual testing of traversal payloads

Workflow

# Example: IOC detection
import re

IOC_PATTERNS = {
    "ip": r"\b(?:\d{1,3}\.){3}\d{1,3}\b",
    "domain": r"\b[a-z0-9-]+\.[a-z]{2,}\b",
    "hash_md5": r"\b[a-f0-9]{32}\b",
    "hash_sha256": r"\b[a-f0-9]{64}\b",
}

def extract_iocs(text: ) -> :
     {k: re.findall(v, text)  k, v  IOC_PATTERNS.items()}