-file-..-2f..-2f..-2f..-2fhome-2f-2a-2f.aws-2fcredentials //top\\

: This is a URI scheme that instructs a system to read a file from the local file system rather than a website.

—to reach out from the app's folder, travel through the system's "hallways," and find Alex's secret keys. Instructure -file-..-2F..-2F..-2F..-2Fhome-2F-2A-2F.aws-2Fcredentials

-2Fhome-2F-2A-2F : Encoded path for /home/*/ . The asterisk ( * ) is often used in certain contexts or bypass attempts to glob-match any user directory if the specific username is unknown. 1. Identification : This is a URI scheme that instructs

: Avoid storing static keys in .aws/credentials on servers. Instead, use IAM Roles for EC2 or ECS Task Roles , which provide temporary, auto-rotating credentials via the Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) . The asterisk ( * ) is often used

They can download entire S3 buckets containing customer data, source code, or financial records.

If no validation is done, requesting: index.php?file=../../../../home/user/.aws/credentials will include the credentials file.