GHSA-g9rq-x4fj-f5hx
HIGHGHSA-g9rq-x4fj-f5hx is a high-severity (CVSS 7.9) CWE-95 vulnerability in ssddanbrown/bookstack. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-g9rq-x4fj-f5hx is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Remote Code Execution Through Image Uploads in BookStack
Real-World Exposure
ssddanbrown/bookstackReal-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
Impact
A user could upload PHP files through image upload functions, which would allow them to execute code on the host system remotely. They would then have the permissions of the PHP process.
This most impacts scenarios where non-trusted users are given permission to upload images in any area of the application.
Patches
The issue was addressed in a series of patches: v0.25.3, v0.25.4 and v0.25.5. Users should upgrade to at least v0.25.5 to avoid this patch but ideally the latest BookStack version as previous versions are un-supported.
Workarounds
Depending on BookStack version, you could use the local_secure image storage option, or use s3 or a similar compatible service.
Preventing direct execution of any php files, apart from the public/index.php file, though web-server configuration would also prevent this.
References
BookStack Beta v0.25.3 BookStack Beta v0.25.4 BookStack Beta v0.25.5
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in the BookStack GitHub repository.
- Ask on the BookStack Discord chat.
- Follow the BookStack Security advise to contact someone privately.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | ssddanbrown/bookstack | all versions | 0.25.5 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for ssddanbrown/bookstack. 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 ssddanbrown/bookstack to 0.25.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-g9rq-x4fj-f5hx 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-g9rq-x4fj-f5hx 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-g9rq-x4fj-f5hx. 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-g9rq-x4fj-f5hx in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-g9rq-x4fj-f5hx across Packagist dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.