outline: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
CVE-2026-43888 is a high-severity improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory vulnerability in outline, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.7 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. Affected outline versions: < 1.7.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.37% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of outline 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
- HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- 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:H/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (github.com).
Official description
Outline is a service that allows for collaborative documentation. Prior to 1.7.0, ZipHelper.extract computes the extraction path for each entry by passing a full filesystem path through trimFileAndExt, a filename helper that calls path.basename on its input when truncating. When a zip entry's nested path is long enough to push the joined filesystem path over MAX_PATH_LENGTH (4096 bytes), trimFileAndExt silently drops all directory components and returns a bare filename. fs.createWriteStream then opens the file relative to the process working directory instead of inside the extraction sandbox, and the escaped file persists after import cleanup because cleanupExtractedData only removes the temporary extraction directory. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.7.0.
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: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other vulnerabilities in outline
- 7.7 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 7.7 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
Recent Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities
- 8.2 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.4 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
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