Weakness (CWE)
CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
More detail
Many file operations are intended to take place within a restricted directory. By using special elements such as ".." and "/" separators, attackers can escape outside of the restricted location to access files or directories that are elsewhere on the system. One of the most common special elements is the "../" sequence, which in most modern operating systems is interpreted as the parent directory of the current location. This is referred to as relative path traversal. Path traversal also covers the use of absolute pathnames such as "/usr/local/bin" to access unexpected files. This is referred to as absolute path traversal.
How to prevent it (8 mitigations)
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Implementation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
When performing input validation, consider all potentially relevant properties, including length, type of input, the full range of acceptable values, missing or extra inputs, syntax, consistency across related fields, and conformance to business rules. As an example of business rule logic, "boat" may be syntactically valid because it only contains alphanumeric characters, but it is not valid if the input is only expected to contain colors such as "red" or "blue."
Do not rely exclusively on looking for malicious or malformed inputs. This is likely to miss at least one undesirable input, especially if the code's environment changes. This can give attackers enough room to bypass the intended validation. However, denylists can be useful for detecting potential attacks or determining which inputs are so malformed that they should be rejected outright.
When validating filenames, use stringent allowlists that limit the character set to be used. If feasible, only allow a single "." character in the filename to avoid weaknesses such as CWE-23, and exclude directory separators such as "/" to avoid CWE-36. Use a list of allowable file extensions, which will help to avoid CWE-434.
Do not rely exclusively on a filtering mechanism that removes potentially dangerous characters. This is equivalent to a denylist, which may be incomplete (CWE-184). For example, filtering "/" is insufficient protection if the filesystem also supports the use of "\" as a directory separator. Another possible error could occur when the filtering is applied in a way that still produces dangerous data (CWE-182). For example, if "../" sequences are removed from the ".../...//" string in a sequential fashion, two instances of "../" would be removed from the original string, but the remaining characters would still form the "../" string.
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Architecture and Design
For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
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Implementation
Inputs should be decoded and canonicalized to the application's current internal representation before being validated (CWE-180). Make sure that the application does not decode the same input twice (CWE-174). Such errors could be used to bypass allowlist validation schemes by introducing dangerous inputs after they have been checked.
Use a built-in path canonicalization function (such as realpath() in C) that produces the canonical version of the pathname, which effectively removes ".." sequences and symbolic links (CWE-23, CWE-59). This includes:
- realpath() in C
- getCanonicalPath() in Java
- GetFullPath() in ASP.NET
- realpath() or abs_path() in Perl
- realpath() in PHP
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Architecture and Design
Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid [REF-1482].
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Operation
Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth [REF-1481].
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Architecture and Design, Operation
Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks [REF-76]. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.
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Architecture and Design
When the set of acceptable objects, such as filenames or URLs, is limited or known, create a mapping from a set of fixed input values (such as numeric IDs) to the actual filenames or URLs, and reject all other inputs.
For example, ID 1 could map to "inbox.txt" and ID 2 could map to "profile.txt". Features such as the ESAPI AccessReferenceMap [REF-185] provide this capability.
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Architecture and Design, Operation
Run the code in a "jail" or similar sandbox environment that enforces strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. This may effectively restrict which files can be accessed in a particular directory or which commands can be executed by the software.
OS-level examples include the Unix chroot jail, AppArmor, and SELinux. In general, managed code may provide some protection. For example, java.io.FilePermission in the Java SecurityManager allows the software to specify restrictions on file operations.
This may not be a feasible solution, and it only limits the impact to the operating system; the rest of the application may still be subject to compromise.
Be careful to avoid CWE-243 and other weaknesses related to jails.
Source: MITRE CWE-22
3,232 results · Clear filters · Feed
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High 8.3
Flextype CMS through 1.0.0-alpha.3 Path Traversal via Entries REST API
Flextype CMS through 1.0.0-alpha.3 fails to properly validate id and new_id parameters in the Entries REST API, allowing API token holders to read, create, or overwrite files outside the entries directory. Attackers can use traversal sequences in API requests…
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High 7.5CVE-2026-51134 Public exploit
The C-MOR Video Surveillance web interface (up to version 6.0104) is vulnerable to Path Traversal via the 'cam' paramet…
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High 8.8
DevSpace through 6.3.21 Path Traversal via tar extraction
DevSpace through 6.3.21 fails to reject parent-directory segments in tar entry names from the in-pod sync stream. Attackers operating a malicious container can stream tar entries with traversal sequences to write arbitrary files on the developer workstation, …
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High 7.8
A path handling issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoi…
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High 7.8CVE-2026-84568 Public exploit
A path traversal issue was addressed with improved path validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS …
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High 7.8
A path handling issue was addressed with improved validation. This issue is fixed in macOS Golden Gate 27, macOS Sequoi…
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High 7.5
A path traversal issue was addressed with improved path validation. This issue is fixed in iOS 26.7 and iPadOS 26.7, iO…
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High 7.5
IBM® Data Server driver for JDBC and SQLJ could allow a remote attacker to perform an arbitrary file write due to improper validation of file paths
IBM Db2 11.5.0 through 11.5.9, and 12.1.0 through 12.1.5 could allow a remote attacker to perform an arbitrary file write due to improper validation of file paths.
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High 7.5
Anyquery: Local File Read (LFR) via Unrestricted SQLite Virtual Table Modules in Server Mode
Anyquery is an SQL query engine built on top of SQLite. Prior to 0.4.5, anyquery server exposes file-backed SQLite virtual table modules such as csv_reader and log_reader through its MySQL-compatible server port without authentication, authorization, or direc…
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High 7.3
Anyquery: Path Traversal in `clear_plugin_cache` Allows Arbitrary Directory Deletion
Anyquery is an SQL query engine built on top of SQLite. Prior to 0.4.5, the clear_plugin_cache(plugin) SQL scalar function in namespace/other_functions.go passes the caller-controlled plugin parameter through path.Join to os.RemoveAll without rejecting traver…
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High 8.1
DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data has several vulnerabilities due to open source software
IBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data 5.4.0.0 IBM DataStage could allow a remote authenticated attacker to read, write, or delete arbitrary files due to a path traversal vulnerability.
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High 7.7
MCP Atlassian: Arbitrary server-side file read via attachment upload
MCP Atlassian is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Atlassian products (Confluence and Jira). Prior to 0.22.0, the confluence_upload_attachment and confluence_upload_attachments tools pass a client-controlled file_path through src/mcp_atlassian/conflue…
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High 7.1
PyMuPDF 1.28.2 Path Traversal via extract_objects() Font Branch
PyMuPDF through 1.28.2, fixed in commit b2c8f3a, contains a path traversal vulnerability in the font branch of extract_objects() in src/__main__.py, where the output filename is constructed by joining a document-controlled BaseFont name directly onto the user…
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High 8.1
backpack/crud: Arbitrary file deletion via attacker-controlled clear_<attr>[] in HasUploadFields::uploadMultipleFilesToDisk
backpack/crud provides Create, Read, Update & Delete (CRUD) functions for Backpack, a collection of Laravel packages that help users build custom administration panels. Prior to 6.8.12 and 7.0.35, HasUploadFields::uploadMultipleFilesToDisk in src/app/Models/T…
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High 7.3
PraisonAI Code agent tools fail open without a workspace boundary
PraisonAI is a multi-agent teams system. Prior to 4.6.59, the CODE_TOOLS wrappers keep _workspace_root as None and pass workspace=None to read_file, search_replace, and apply_diff helpers that enforce path containment only for a truthy workspace. An applicati…
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High 7.5
PraisonAI: Unauthenticated Local File Inclusion via agent_file path in the Jobs API
PraisonAI is a multi-agent teams system. Prior to 4.6.59, the unauthenticated Jobs API accepts an absolute or traversing agent_file path in POST /api/v1/runs and passes it to the job executor without a workspace allowlist or boundary check. A remote caller ca…
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High 7.5
PraisonAI: Arbitrary File Read via `@file:` Mention Path Traversal
PraisonAI is a multi-agent teams system. Prior to praisonaiagents 1.6.59, MentionsParser._process_file_mention accepts file-mention values and falls back from workspace-relative resolution to Path(file_path) without traversal, symlink, or workspace-boundary v…
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High 7.8
Apache Storm Nimbus: Path Traversal as the Supervisor User via Unsanitised Blobstore Map Local Name
Description A topology's `topology.blobstore.map` lets the submitter choose a local name for each blob that the supervisor localises. That name was used to build a path under the topology's working directory without normalisation, in both `AsyncLocalizer` and…
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High 8.8
Apache Storm Client: Cross-Tenant Dependency Jar Substitution via Predictable Blob Keys
Description Dependency artifacts uploaded with `storm jar --artifacts` were stored under a blob key derived only from the Maven coordinate, for example `dep---.jar`. The key was therefore identical for every user of the cluster and predictable in advance. Whe…
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High 7.0
Joomla Extension - joomshaper.com - Missing Directory Confinement in Media Rename Allowing Arbitrary File Rename in SP Page Builder (Free and Pro) 4.0.0 - 6.9.0
Joomla Extension - joomshaper.com - Missing Directory Confinement in Media Rename Allowing Arbitrary File Rename in SP Page Builder (Free and Pro) 4.0.0 - 6.9.0 - The media rename task applied neither of the directory boundary checks used by the folder operat…
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High 8.3
0x4m4 HexStrike AI API Files Endpoint hexstrike_server.py FileOperationsManager path traversal
A security vulnerability has been detected in 0x4m4 HexStrike AI up to d689933ff579d839c676c82b231f8e98326c5f04. The impacted element is the function FileOperationsManager of the file hexstrike_server.py of the component API Files Endpoint. The manipulation o…
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High 7.5CVE-2026-90774 Scanner template
rustypaste before 0.18.1 Path Traversal via filename header
rustypaste before 0.18.1 validates the destination path before applying the optional custom filename HTTP header, allowing attackers to bypass directory-escape checks. Attackers can supply path traversal sequences in the filename header to write files outside…
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High 7.5
libks has path traversal in kws HTTP parser via URI segment overflow
libks provides foundational support for signalwire C products. Prior to version 2.0.11, `clean_uri()` in libks's HTTP request parser fails to reject URIs whose path has more segments than its internal canonicalization buffer can hold. The canonicalization ste…
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High 8.1
UsersWP <= 1.2.70 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary File Deletion
The UsersWP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Deletion in versions up to, and including, 1.2.70 via the upload_file_remove() AJAX handler. The plugin stores the value of an account 'file' form field taken directly from $_POST when no real $…
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High 7.5
AcyMailing – An Ultimate Newsletter Plugin and Marketing Automation Solution for WordPress <= 11.0.4 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read via 'user[name]' Parameter
The AcyMailing – An Ultimate Newsletter Plugin and Marketing Automation Solution for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Directory Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 11.0.4 via the `user[name]` Parameter. This makes it possible for un…
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High 8.5
DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data has several vulnerabilities due to open source software
IBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data 5.4.0.0 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to overwrite ruleset files belonging to other tenants due to a path traversal vulnerability.
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High 8.8
DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data has several vulnerabilities due to open source software
IBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data 5.4.0.0 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to arbitrarily write to or delete files on shared storage due to a path traversal vulnerability.
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High 8.8
DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data has several vulnerabilities due to open source software
IBM DataStage on Cloud Pak for Data 5.4.0.0 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information due to an absolute-path traversal vulnerability.
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High 8.8
A path traversal vulnerability in file handling components could allow an authenticated attacker to write files to arbitrary locations on the server filesystem
IBM Langflow OSS 1.0.0 through 1.10.3 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code due to improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory.
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High 8.8
knowns through 0.33.0 Path Traversal via Template Engine
knowns through 0.33.0 fails to properly validate template destination paths in the code generation template engine, allowing attackers to read and write arbitrary files outside the project root. Attackers can supply malicious templates that traverse directori…
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High 8.6
WordPress Advanced Product Fields Extended for WooCommerce plugin <= 3.1.6 - Arbitrary File Deletion vulnerability
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Studio Wombat Advanced Product Fields Extended for WooCommerce allows Path Traversal. This issue affects Advanced Product Fields Extended for WooCommerce: from n/a…
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High 8.3
ICEcoder through 8.1 Path Traversal via oldFileName Parameter
ICEcoder versions through 8.1 fail to properly validate the oldFileName parameter in file move and rename operations, allowing authenticated users to relocate files from outside the document root. Attackers can use path traversal sequences in oldFileName to m…
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High 8.8
ICEcoder through 8.1 Path Traversal via Ineffective File::check() Confinement
ICEcoder versions through 8.1 contain a path traversal vulnerability in the file-control endpoint due to a logic error in the document-root confinement check. The File::check() validation function compares realpath() to boolean true, which never succeeds, all…
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High 7.5
LFI in GIS Informatics' GisLab Laboratory Management System
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in GIS Informatics GisLab Laboratory Management System allows Path Traversal. This issue affects GisLab Laboratory Management System: from 1.4.03 before 1.5.
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High 7.5
Direct Download for WooCommerce <= 1.19 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read via 'file_id' Path Segment
The Direct Download for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Directory Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 1.19 via the (top-level include) function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read the contents of arbitra…
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High 7.5
Path Traversal in avatar attachments in Docmost v0.21.0 allows an unauthenticated malicious actor to disclose local fil…
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High 8.6
knowns before 0.30.0 Path Traversal via Document API
knowns (npm package) versions <= 0.29.1 contain a path traversal vulnerability in the Document API. The HTTP handler in internal/server/routes/docs.go normalizes the user-supplied document path with cleanDocPath(), which strips leading/trailing slashes and th…
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High 8.2
Chainlit through 2.12.0 Path Traversal via socket.io sessionId
Chainlit through 2.12.0 fails to validate the client-supplied socket.io sessionId parameter, allowing unauthenticated attackers to traverse filesystem paths by injecting absolute or relative path sequences. Attackers can craft malicious sessionId values that …
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High 7.3
Dell SCG 5.0 Appliance versions prior to 5.36.00.16 and Dell SCG 5.0 Application versions prior to 5.36.00.00, contains…
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High 8.5
Tanium addressed a path traversal vulnerability in Comply.
Tanium addressed a path traversal vulnerability in Comply.