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Hermes Codex

CVE-2026-5966: Arbitrary File Deletion in ThreatSonar Anti-Ransomware

Executive Summary

Section titled “Executive Summary”

The vulnerability CVE-2026-5966 has been identified as an Arbitrary File Deletion issue affecting the ThreatSonar Anti-Ransomware solution developed by TeamT5. Classified under CWE-23, the vulnerability results from improper neutralization of special elements within file pathnames, commonly associated with path traversal flaws.

This issue allows an authenticated remote attacker to provide crafted input parameters to specific web endpoints, leading to the deletion of arbitrary files on the host system. Considering the security-critical nature of the application as an anti-ransomware solution, successful exploitation could result in severe impact, particularly through the removal of security-related binaries or configuration files.

Root Cause Analysis

Section titled “Root Cause Analysis”

The analysis indicates that the vulnerability resides within the application’s file management subsystem. The endpoint responsible for file operations does not enforce sufficient validation of file paths supplied through user input.

This weakness allows the use of traversal sequences such as ../ to bypass intended directory restrictions, enabling access to or manipulation of unauthorized areas of the filesystem.

Exploitation

Section titled “Exploitation”

While a fully weaponized proof-of-concept is currently absent in public repositories, the vulnerability follows standard path traversal patterns. Exploitation involves targeting authenticated API endpoints involved in file deletion.

Below is a conceptual payload structure for testing:

POST /api/v1/delete_file HTTP/1.1
Host: [Target]
Content-Type: application/json


{
  "file_path": "../../../windows/system32/config/SAM"
}

The application process executes these requests with the service’s privileges, which often run with administrative or system-level rights on Windows environments.

Forensic Artifacts

Section titled “Forensic Artifacts”

Forensic investigators should look for the following evidence:

  • File System: Indications of unauthorized deletion of system binaries, critical configuration files, or anti-ransomware components.
  • Web Server Logs: IIS access logs containing requests to file management endpoints with atypical path patterns (../).
  • Windows Event Logs: Search for Event ID 4663 (An attempt was made to access an object), provided that object access auditing is enabled for the targeted directories.
  • Application Logs: Review logs specific to the ThreatSonar service, looking for exceptions or operational errors related to file deletion failures or path resolution issues.

Detection Logic

Section titled “Detection Logic”
title: Possible Path Traversal Attempt
id: 5b6c2d1a-f3e4-4a5c-8b2d-9e7f8c1b2a3c
status: experimental
description: Detects path traversal attempts in web requests targeting file deletion endpoints.
logsource:
    category: web
    product: iis
detection:
    selection:
        cs-uri-query|contains:
            - '../'
            - '..\\'
    condition: selection
priority: high