GHSA-5v8v-gwmw-qw97
HIGHorg.neo4j.procedure:apoc Path Traversal Vulnerability
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.
Blast Radius
org.neo4j.procedure:apoc☕org.neo4j.procedure:apocReal-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
Impact
A Path Traversal Vulnerability found in the apoc.export.* procedures of apoc plugins in Neo4j Graph database. The issue allows a malicious actor to potentially break out of the expected directory. The vulnerability is such that files could only be created but not overwritten.
For the vulnerability to be exploited, an attacker would need access to execute an arbitrary query, either by having access to an authenticated Neo4j client, or a Cypher injection vulnerability in an application. The procedure would need to have been allow listed in the neo4j configuration as well as having the apoc config apoc.export.file.enabled set to true.
On a UNIX based system the following query allows arbitrary write access to the tmp folder:
CALL apoc.export.csv.query('RETURN 1', 'file:///..//..//..//..//tmp/test.txt', {})
Patches
The users should aim to use the latest released version compatible with their Neo4j version. The minimum versions containing patch for this vulnerability are 4.4.0.12 and 4.3.0.12.
Workarounds
If you cannot upgrade the library, you can control the allowlist of the procedures that can be used in your system, and/or turn off local file access by setting apoc.export.file.enabled=false
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in neo4j-apoc-procedures
- Email us at [email protected]
Credits
We want to publicly recognise the contribution Adam Reziouk - Airbus.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.neo4j.procedure:apoc | all versions | 4.3.0.12 |
| ☕Maven | org.neo4j.procedure:apoc | ≥ 4.4.0.0&&< 4.4.0.12 | 4.4.0.12 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.neo4j.procedure:apoc. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.neo4j.procedure:apoc to 4.3.0.12 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-5v8v-gwmw-qw97 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-5v8v-gwmw-qw97 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-5v8v-gwmw-qw97. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-5v8v-gwmw-qw97 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-5v8v-gwmw-qw97 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.