CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2025-4981NVD status: Analyzed

Mattermost: Uncontrolled Search Path Element

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2025-4981 is a critical-severity uncontrolled search path element vulnerability in Mattermost, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected Mattermost versions: 10.5.0 through 10.5.5; 9.11.0 through 9.11.15; 10.8.0 and earlier, and others listed below. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.02% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 64% of scored CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Update Mattermost Server to 9.11.16 or 10.5.6 or 10.6.6 or 10.7.3, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Read the advisory on mattermost.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
MattermostMattermost10.5.0 through 10.5.5; 9.11.0 through 9.11.15; 10.8.0 and earlier; 10.7.0 through 10.7.2; 10.6.0 through 10.6.5Not stated
MattermostMattermost Server9.11.0 up to, but not including, 9.11.16; 10.5.0 up to, but not including, 10.5.6; 10.6.0 up to, but not including, 10.6.6; 10.7.0 up to, but not including, 10.7.3; 10.8.09.11.16, 10.5.6, 10.6.6, 10.7.3

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (mattermost.com).

Official description

Mattermost versions 10.5.x <= 10.5.5, 9.11.x <= 9.11.15, 10.8.x <= 10.8.0, 10.7.x <= 10.7.2, 10.6.x <= 10.6.5 fail to sanitize filenames in the archive extractor which allows authenticated users to write files to arbitrary locations on the filesystem via uploading archives with path traversal sequences in filenames, potentially leading to remote code execution. The vulnerability impacts instances where file uploads and document search by content is enabled (FileSettings.EnableFileAttachments = true and FileSettings.ExtractContent = true). These configuration settings are enabled by default.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Uncontrolled Search Path Element

The product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Hard-code the search path to a set of known-safe values (such as system directories), or only allow them to be specified by the administrator in a configuration file. Do not allow these settings to be modified by an external party. Be careful to avoid related weaknesses such as CWE-426 and CWE-428.
  • When invoking other programs, specify those programs using fully-qualified pathnames. While this is an effective approach, code that uses fully-qualified pathnames might not be portable to other systems that do not use the same pathnames. The portability can be improved by locating the full-qualified paths in a centralized, easily-modifiable location within the source code, and having the code refer to these paths.
  • Remove or restrict all environment settings before invoking other programs. This includes the PATH environment variable, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and other settings that identify the location of code libraries, and any application-specific search paths.

More Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerabilities (CWE-427)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Mattermost

All Mattermost vulnerabilities

Recent Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerabilities

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