Path traversal allows an attacker to escape the intended web root directory and access sensitive system files. The ".." (Dot-Dot) Sequence
: Keep it short and include the primary keyword (e.g., ://yoursite.com ) [15, 20]. -template-..-2F..-2F..-2F..-2Froot-2F
Most languages have functions to get the "basename" of a file path (e.g., basename() in PHP), which strips out all directory information and leaves only the filename. Path traversal allows an attacker to escape the
, suggesting the attacker is attempting to reach the root directory of the Linux filesystem, often to retrieve critical files like /etc/passwd The MITRE Corporation 2. Common Vulnerabilities and Risks ://yoursite.com ) [15
Some attackers combine this with null byte injection ( %00 ) to truncate extensions.