../../../../etc/passwd ..\..\..\windows\win.ini ....//....//....//etc/passwd %2e%2e%2f%2e%2e%2f%2e%2e%2fetc%2fpasswd
Historically, this file contained account passwords. In modern Linux systems, passwords are encrypted and securely stored in a completely separate file called /etc/shadow , which requires root privileges to read.
The string -page-....-2F-2F....-2F-2F....-2F-2Fetc-2Fpasswd represents a payload used by cyberattackers to exploit web vulnerabilities. It specifically targets Local File Inclusion (LFI) and Directory Traversal flaws in web applications. The ultimate goal of this specific payload is to read the /etc/passwd file, a critical system configuration file on Unix and Linux servers. Anatomy of the Payload
Therefore, ....-2F-2F....-2F-2F....-2F-2Fetc-2Fpasswd is often a way to encode ../../../../etc/passwd . 3. How the Attack Works (Path Traversal) -page-....-2F-2F....-2F-2F....-2F-2Fetc-2Fpasswd
Some historical path traversal vulnerabilities came from bugs in the server or language’s path normalization functions. Stay current with security patches.
This is a classic attack targeting Unix/Linux systems, trying to read the sensitive /etc/passwd file by escaping out of the web root using ../ sequences (here obfuscated with ....// which resolves to ../ after normalization in some systems).
Preventing path traversal requires a "defense-in-depth" approach, ensuring that input is never trusted. 1. Validate Input (Whitelist Approach) It specifically targets Local File Inclusion (LFI) and
Help you for similar vulnerabilities
: This is the URL-encoded representation of the forward slash character ( / ). Web servers and applications decode URL entities during processing. Attackers use encoding to hide the slash from Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) or input validation filters that only scan for raw forward slashes.
If the developer implements a weak defense—such as stripping out ../ or blocking raw slashes—the encoded payload ( ....-2F-2Fetc-2Fpasswd ) acts as an evasion technique to achieve the exact same result. Security Risks and Impact -page-....-2F-2F....-2F-2F....-2F-2Fetc-2Fpasswd
: Attackers can read sensitive configuration files containing database credentials, API keys, and environment variables.
When a web server processes this string, it often decodes it into a path like this: : ../../../../etc/passwd .
This article provides a comprehensive overview of directory traversal attacks, specifically focusing on the exploitation technique ?page=../../../../etc/passwd .