What type of attack is identified by a Unicode Directory Traversal Attack?

• A. SQL Injection
• B. Directory traversal vulnerabilities
• C. Cross-Site Scripting
• D. Buffer Overflow

Answer: (B)

Directory traversal vulnerabilities arise when an application uses user-supplied input to build a file path without proper validation, allowing access to files outside the intended directory. A Unicode Directory Traversal Attack specifically uses Unicode or encoded representations of traversal sequences to bypass input checks and reach restricted files or directories. By encoding patterns like the traversal sequences, attackers can slip past filters that only look for plain ASCII patterns, then read sensitive files or configuration data on the server.

This is distinct from SQL Injection (manipulating database queries), Cross-Site Scripting (injecting malicious scripts into web pages), or Buffer Overflow (exceeding memory bounds to cause errors or execution). The question targets the concept of traversing the file system to access restricted resources, hence the correct classification is directory traversal vulnerabilities.