Grav vulnerable to Path Traversal allowing server files backupGHSA-j422-qmxp-hv94
MEDIUMFix: getgrav/grav@ed640a1GHSA-j422-qmxp-hv94 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.8) Path Traversal vulnerability in getgrav/grav. A fix is available for getgrav/grav — see the affected versions and patch details below.
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.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-j422-qmxp-hv94.
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
getgrav/gravReal-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
Summary
A path traversal vulnerability has been identified in Grav CMS, versions 1.7.49.5 , allowing authenticated attackers
with administrative privileges to read arbitrary files on the underlying server filesystem. This vulnerability arises due
to insufficient input sanitization in the backup tool, where user-supplied paths are not properly restricted, enabling
access to files outside the intended webroot directory. The impact of this vulnerability depends on the privileges of
the user account running the application.
PoC
To accurately demonstrate the maximum potential impact of this vulnerability, the testing environment was configured in a specific way:
- Elevated Privileges: The application was run locally with the highest possible system privileges, operating under the **`root`** user account.
- Objective: This configuration was chosen to unequivocally show that the path traversal vulnerability is not just a theoretical issue but can lead to a complete compromise of the underlying host when combined with poor operational practices. The ability to read any file on the system is the ultimate test of the flaw's severity.
Proof of Concept Goal: Under these conditions, the subsequent PoC will exploit the vulnerability to read the SSH private key
of the `root` user (`/root/.ssh/id_rsa`). The successful exfiltration of this key represents a worst-case scenario, as it would provide
an attacker with persistent, undetectable, and complete administrative access to the host server. This highlights the critical intersection
of an application-layer vulnerability and a infrastructure-level misconfiguration.
1- LOGIN AS ADMIN AND GO TO : http://127.0.0.1/admin/tools/backups
2- Change 'Root Folder' to backup directory /../../../../../../../root/.ssh/
<img width="1902" height="492" alt="Screenshot 2025-09-11 161519" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/23a60dc3-7758-4e24-b910-e66a1dd1f5e2" />
3- CLICK : 'SAVE'
4- CLICK : 'Backup Now'
<img width="1916" height="512" alt="Screenshot 2025-09-11 154151" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/88a63ff2-777e-467e-857b-0644ef698499" />
5- Extract Backup :
<img width="704" height="101" alt="Screenshot 2025-09-11 160114" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b91ce4db-9843-4280-b8f0-32c73aa12d4d" />
<img width="567" height="101" alt="Screenshot 2025-09-11 160135" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/155ce7d8-c2fc-4b54-b054-f7c7550bec82" />Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | getgrav/grav | all versions | 1.8.0-beta.27composer require getgrav/grav:^1.8.0-beta.27 |
Affected Products
gravgetgravDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for getgrav/grav, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update getgrav/grav to 1.8.0-beta.27 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-j422-qmxp-hv94 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 GHSA-j422-qmxp-hv94 in your dependencies?
Find it across Packagist, including transitive dependencies.