CVE-2026-32731 — @apostrophecms/import-exp…
CRITICALCVE-2026-32731 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.9) Path Traversal vulnerability in @apostrophecms/import-export. A fix is available for @apostrophecms/import-export — see the affected versions and patch details below.
ApostropheCMS has Arbitrary File Write (Zip Slip / Path Traversal) in Import-Export Gzip Extraction
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.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-32731.
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-2026-32731 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 377,333 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
@apostrophecms/import-exportnpmDescription
ApostropheCMS is an open-source content management framework. Prior to version 3.5.3 of @apostrophecms/import-export,
The extract() function in gzip.js constructs file-write paths using fs.createWriteStream(path.join(exportPath, header.name)). path.join() does not resolve or sanitise traversal segments such as ../. It concatenates them as-is, meaning a tar entry named ../../evil.js resolves to a path outside the intended extraction directory. No canonical-path check is performed before the write stream is opened. This is a textbook Zip Slip vulnerability. Any user who has been granted the Global Content Modify permission — a role routinely assigned to content editors and site managers — can upload a crafted .tar.gz file through the standard CMS import UI and write attacker-controlled content to any path the Node.js process can reach on the host filesystem. Version 3.5.3 of @apostrophecms/import-export fixes the issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @apostrophecms/import-export | all versions | 3.5.3npm install @apostrophecms/import-export@3.5.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @apostrophecms/import-export, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update @apostrophecms/import-export to 3.5.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-32731 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
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-2026-32731 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2026-32731. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-32731 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2026-32731 across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.