Improper Restriction of Names for Files and Other Resources

When an application builds a resource name—like a filename, directory path, or URL—from external input without strict validation, it opens the door to multiple attack vectors. An attacker can inject special characters, path traversal sequences (like `../`), or even script code into the name. If the application later uses that name, say, to include a file on a web page or pass it to a system command, it can trigger unexpected and dangerous behavior. The specific risk depends entirely on how the malformed name is used. For example, if the tainted name is displayed in a web page, it could lead to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in a user's browser. If it's processed by a server-side parser or the operating system itself, it could allow path traversal to access sensitive files, cause denial-of-service, or in the worst case, lead to remote code execution by exploiting a vulnerability in the underlying processing component.