CVE-2023-27159 — appwrite/server-ce
HIGHCVE-2023-27159 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in appwrite/server-ce. 3 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.
Appwrite Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerability
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-27159.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2023-27159 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,636 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 10–50% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
appwrite/server-ceReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Appwrite up to v1.2.1 was discovered to contain a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) via the component /v1/avatars/favicon. This vulnerability allows attackers to access network resources and sensitive information via a crafted GET request.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | appwrite/server-ce | all versions | No fix |
Research 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 appwrite/server-ce, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
No patched version of appwrite/server-ce has shipped for CVE-2023-27159 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
Mitigate without a patch
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2023-27159 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2023-27159. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
How to detect CVE-2023-27159
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id cve-2023-27159 -u https://target- Template
- Appwrite <=1.2.1 - Server-Side Request Forgery
- Severity
- high
- Impact
- This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to internal resources, potential data leakage, and further exploitation of the server.
- Remediation
- Upgrade Appwrite to a version higher than 1.2.1 to mitigate the SSRF vulnerability.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (DhiyaneshDk), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-27159 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2023-27159 across Packagist dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.