indico: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
CVE-2026-33046 is a high-severity improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory vulnerability in indico, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 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 indico versions: < 3.3.12. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.81% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 58% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of indico you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
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
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- 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:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 7.7 | High | CNA (github.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
Indico is an event management system that uses Flask-Multipass, a multi-backend authentication system for Flask. In versions prior to 3.3.12, due to vulnerabilities in TeXLive and obscure LaTeX syntax that allowed circumventing Indico's LaTeX sanitizer, it is possible to use specially-crafted LaTeX snippets which can read local files or execute code with the privileges of the user running Indico on the server. Note that if server-side LaTeX rendering is not in use (ie `XELATEX_PATH` was not set in `indico.conf`), this vulnerability does not apply. It is recommended to update to Indico 3.3.12 as soon as possible. It is also strongly recommended to enable the containerized LaTeX renderer (using `podman`), which isolates it from the rest of the system. As a workaround, remove the `XELATEX_PATH` setting from `indico.conf` (or comment it out or set it to `None`) and restart the `indico-uwsgi` and `indico-celery` services to disable LaTeX functionality.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
- Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth.
More Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities (CWE-22)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Patches and release notes
- github.com/indico/indico/commit/0adb70f0ed66e129361d447868f5f3eb90dc5e96
- github.com/indico/indico/commit/1dbb12525b3de14229bf4d1ae192988068f975f6
- github.com/indico/indico/commit/5f24d23ce9c4b0e4b68b3d0b58987a948fc57c8a
- github.com/indico/indico/commit/fb169ced710c30cf792ce4b9f48688db0633cfd8
- github.com/indico/indico/releases/tag/v3.3.12Product, Release Notes
Other vulnerabilities in indico
- 7.1 High severity
Recent Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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