CVE-2021-32769 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Path Traversal vulnerability in io.micronaut:micronaut-http-server-netty. 1 public exploit or proof-of-concept reference is indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for io.micronaut:micronaut-http-server-netty — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') in micronaut-core
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
io.micronaut:micronaut-http-server-nettyReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
With a basic configuration like
router:
static-resources:
assets:
enabled: true
mapping: /.assets/public/**
paths: file:/home/lstrmiska/test/
it is possible to access any file from a filesystem, using "/../../" in URL, as Micronaut does not restrict file access to configured paths.
Repro Steps
- create a file test.txt in /home/lstrmiska
- start micronaut
- execute command
curl -v --path-as-is "http://localhost:8080/.assets/public/../test.txt"
Impact
Micronaut can potentially leak sensitive information.
See https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/22.html
Patches
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/io/micronaut/core/io/file/DefaultFileSystemResourceLoader.java b/core/src/main/java/io/micronaut/core/io/file/DefaultFileSystemResourceLoader.java
index 2f5a91403..19d3b7f05 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/io/micronaut/core/io/file/DefaultFileSystemResourceLoader.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/io/micronaut/core/io/file/DefaultFileSystemResourceLoader.java
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ public class DefaultFileSystemResourceLoader implements FileSystemResourceLoader
@Override
public Optional<InputStream> getResourceAsStream(String path) {
Path filePath = getFilePath(normalize(path));
+ if (pathOutsideBase(filePath)) {
+ return Optional.empty();
+ }
try {
return Optional.of(Files.newInputStream(filePath));
} catch (IOException e) {
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ public class DefaultFileSystemResourceLoader implements FileSystemResourceLoader
@Override
public Optional<URL> getResource(String path) {
Path filePath = getFilePath(normalize(path));
- if (Files.exists(filePath) && Files.isReadable(filePath) && !Files.isDirectory(filePath)) {
+ if (!pathOutsideBase(filePath) && Files.exists(filePath) && Files.isReadable(filePath) && !Files.isDirectory(filePath)) {
try {
URL url = filePath.toUri().toURL();
return Optional.of(url);
@@ -117,4 +120,15 @@ public class DefaultFileSystemResourceLoader implements FileSystemResourceLoader
private Path getFilePath(String path) {
return baseDirPath.map(dir -> dir.resolve(path)).orElseGet(() -> Paths.get(path));
}
+
+ private boolean pathOutsideBase(Path path) {
+ if (baseDirPath.isPresent()) {
+ Path baseDir = baseDirPath.get();
+ if (path.isAbsolute() == baseDir.isAbsolute()) {
+ Path relativePath = baseDir.relativize(path);
+ return relativePath.startsWith("..");
+ }
+ }
+ return false;
+ }
}
--
Workarounds
- do not use ** in mapping, use only * which exposes only flat structure of a directory not allowing traversal
- run micronaut in chroot (linux only)
References
See https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/22.html
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in Github
- Email us at [email protected]
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | io.micronaut:micronaut-http-server-netty | all versions | 2.5.9io.micronaut:micronaut-http-server-netty:2.5.9 |
Affected Products
micronautobjectcomputingResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for io.micronaut:micronaut-http-server-netty, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update io.micronaut:micronaut-http-server-netty to 2.5.9 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-32769 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-32769 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.