GHSA-x275-h9j4-7p4h — getkirby/cms
Fix: getkirby/kirby@95a5148GHSA-x275-h9j4-7p4h is a Path Traversal vulnerability in getkirby/cms. A fix is available for getkirby/cms — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Kirby vulnerable to path traversal of collection names during file system lookup
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-x275-h9j4-7p4h.
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.
Real-World Exposure
getkirby/cms🐘getkirby/cms🐘getkirby/cmsReal-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
TL;DR
This vulnerability affects all Kirby sites that use the collection() helper or $kirby->collection() method with a dynamic collection name (such as a collection name that depends on request or user data).
Sites that only use fixed calls to the collection() helper/$kirby->collection() method (i.e. calls with a simple string for the collection name) are not affected.
Introduction
Kirby's collection() helper and $kirby->collection() method (in the following abbreviated to the collection() helper) allow to load PHP logic files that are normally stored in the site/collections folder or registered by plugins through the collections plugin extension.
If the collection() helper is called with an arbitrary collection name, Kirby first checks if a file with this name exists in the collections root (which defaults to site/collections).
This logic was vulnerable against path traversal attacks. By using special elements such as .. and / separators, attackers can escape outside of the restricted location to access files or directories that are elsewhere on the system. One of the most common special elements is the ../ sequence, which in most modern operating systems is interpreted as the parent directory of the current location.
Because Kirby's collection() helper did not protect against path traversal, the provided collection name could include special sequences that would cause Kirby to look outside of the configured collections root and access arbitrary files.
Impact
The missing path traversal check allowed attackers to navigate and access all files on the server that were accessible to the PHP process, including files outside of the collections root or even outside of the Kirby installation. PHP code within such files was executed.
Such attacks first require an attack vector in the site code that is caused by dynamic collection names, such as collection('tags-' . get('tags')). It generally also requires knowledge of the site structure and the server's file system by the attacker, although it can be possible to find vulnerable setups through automated methods such as fuzzing.
In a vulnerable setup, this could cause damage to the confidentiality and integrity of the server, for example:
- it could allow the attacker to build a map of the server's file system for subsequent attacks,
- it could allow access to configuration files that may contain sensitive information like security tokens or
- it could cause the unintended execution of PHP scripts.
Patches
The problem has been patched in Kirby 3.9.8.3, Kirby 3.10.1.2 and Kirby 4.7.1. Please update to one of these or a later version to fix the vulnerability.
In all of the mentioned releases, we have added a check for the collection path that ensures that the resulting path is contained within the configured collections root. Collection paths that point outside of the collections root will not be loaded.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | getkirby/cms | all versions | 3.9.8.3composer require getkirby/cms:^3.9.8.3 |
| 🐘Packagist | getkirby/cms | ≥ 3.10.0&&< 3.10.1.2 | 3.10.1.2composer require getkirby/cms:^3.10.1.2 |
| 🐘Packagist | getkirby/cms | ≥ 4.0.0&&< 4.7.1 | 4.7.1composer require getkirby/cms:^4.7.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for getkirby/cms, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update getkirby/cms to 3.9.8.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-x275-h9j4-7p4h 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 GHSA-x275-h9j4-7p4h can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-x275-h9j4-7p4h. 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-x275-h9j4-7p4h in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-x275-h9j4-7p4h across Packagist dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.