Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux - Third Edition

Local File Inclusion

In a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability, files local to the server are accessed by the include function without proper validation; that is, files containing server code are included in a page and their code is executed. This is a very practical feature for developers, as they can reuse code and optimize their resources. The problem arises when user-provided parameters are used to select the files to be included and when insufficient or no validation is made. Many people confuse an LFI flaw with the path traversal flaw. Although the LFI flaw often exhibits the same traits as the path traversal flaw, the application treats both the flaws differently. With the path traversal flaw, the application will only read and ...