---
title: "WEB-DOC-002 Web Root Files Writable by Other Users"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-DOC-002.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-DOC-002.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# WEB-DOC-002 Web Root Files Writable by Other Users

Looks for world-writable files inside web document roots.

- Domain: Web Apps
- Severity: High
- Control category: Access Control
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- CIS Controls v8: 3.3
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.AA-05, PR.DS-01
- CWE: CWE-732
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A05:2021
- OWASP WSTG v4.2: WSTG-CONF-09
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AC-3, AC-6

## Why It Matters

A world-writable PHP or HTML file lets any local user, or any other compromised site on the same server, plant a web shell or inject malware into pages served to visitors.

## How It Detects

Walks each document root (metadata only, up to 50000 files, symlinks not followed) and lists regular files with the 'other write' permission bit.

## How to Fix

chmod o-w <file> for each listed file (find <docroot> -type f -perm -0002 -exec chmod o-w {} +). Use 644 for files and 755 for folders, owned by the site account, and grant the web server write access only to upload folders.

## How to Verify

```
find <docroot> -type f -perm -0002  should print nothing.
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P6 Information Exposure and Misconfiguration](https://openvapt.com/academy/p6.md)

## References

- [OWASP WSTG-CONF-09, Test File Permission](https://wstg.owasp.org/v4.2/4-Web_Application_Security_Testing/02-Configuration_and_Deployment_Management_Testing/09-Test_File_Permission/)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/web/docroot.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only WEB-DOC-002`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain WEB-DOC-002`.

---

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