External Control of File Name or Path
CWE-73
The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.
We track 436 vulnerabilities of this type. 99% are rated high or critical, and the average CVSS score is 8.3. 6 have been exploited in real attacks.
How this weakness is prevented
- Architecture and Design: When the set of filenames is limited or known, create a mapping from a set of fixed input values (such as numeric IDs) to the actual filenames, and reject all other inputs. For example, ID 1 could map to inbox.txt and ID 2 could map to profile.txt. Features such as the ESAPI AccessReferenceMap provide this capability.
- Architecture and Design Operation: Run your code in a jail or similar sandbox environment that enforces strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. This may effectively restrict all access to files within a particular directory. Examples include the Unix chroot jail and AppArmor. In general, managed code may provide some protection. This may not be a feasible solution, and it only limits the impact to the operating system; the rest of your application may still be subject to compromise. Be careful to avoid CWE-243 and other weaknesses related to jails.
- Architecture and Design: 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.
- Implementation: Use a built-in path canonicalization function (such as realpath() in C) that produces the canonical version of the pathname, which effectively removes.. sequences and symbolic links (CWE-23, CWE-59).
- Installation Operation: Use OS-level permissions and run as a low-privileged user to limit the scope of any successful attack.
Latest External Control of File Name or Path vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
Flowise: External Control of File Name or Path
Flowise through 2.2.4 contains an unauthenticated arbitrary file upload vulnerability in the /api/v1/attachments endpoint when storageType is set to local. Attackers can exploit path traversal in the chatId and chatflowId parameters to upload malicious files t
- 7.5 High severity
Flowise: External Control of File Name or Path
Flowise before 3.0.6 contains an arbitrary file read vulnerability in the chatId parameter of the /api/v1/get-upload-file and /api/v1/openai-assistants-file/download endpoints. The chatId value is not validated and is passed to streamStorageFile(), where a fal
- 7.1 High severity
pnpm: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
pnpm is a package manager. From 11.3.0 until 11.5.3, `pnpm stage download` derived a local filename from registry-controlled package name and version fields. A crafted manifest could escape the selected download directory and overwrite another reachable file.
- 7.2 High severity
3x-ui: External Control of File Name or Path
3X-UI is a web control panel for managing Xray-core servers. Prior to 3.3.1, an authenticated administrator can abuse the database import functionality to achieve arbitrary file write on the host by modifying Xray configuration values stored in the database. T
- 8.8 High severity
Warp is an agentic development environment.
Warp is an agentic development environment. From 0.2025.03.05.08.02.stable_00 until 0.2026.05.06.15.42.stable_01, Warp accepts non-inline `OSC 1337;File` payloads from terminal output and materialize the decoded payload as a local file without an additional co
- 7.2 High severity
org.geoserver.web:gs-web-app: External Control of File Name or Path
GeoServer is an open source server that allows users to share and edit geospatial data. Prior to versions 2.26.4 and 2.27.3, a vulnerability exists that allows an authenticated administrator with access to GeoServer's security system to pass arbitrary file nam
- 7.4 High severity
getssl: External Control of File Name or Path
In ServerCo getssl version 2.49 and prior, the ACME challenge token returned to the client was not strictly validated against RFC 8555 before being used in challenge-file handling, allowing a maliciously crafted token to influence local path/filename usage dur
- 8.6 High severity
Config::IniFiles: External Control of File Name or Path
Config::IniFiles versions before 3.001000 for Perl allow OS command injection and file overwrite via a 2-arg open() of the -file argument in _make_filehandle. Config::IniFiles::_make_filehandle opens a filename argument with Perl's 2-arg open(), so a filename
- 9.8 Critical severity
GD: External Control of File Name or Path
GD versions before 2.86 for Perl allow OS command injection and file overwrite via a 2-arg open() of filename arguments in _make_filehandle. GD::Image::_make_filehandle opens a filename argument with Perl's 2-arg open(), so a filename that begins or ends with
- 9.9 Critical severity
Roxy-WI is a web interface for managing Haproxy, Nginx, Apache and Keepalived servers.
Roxy-WI is a web interface for managing Haproxy, Nginx, Apache and Keepalived servers. In versions 8.2.6.4 and prior, POST /waf/<service>/<server_ip>/rule/<rule_id>/save accepts a config_file_name form field that is passed straight through to config_mod.master
- 9.4 Critical severity
haxcms-nodejs: External Control of System or Configuration Setting
HAX CMS helps manage microsite universe with PHP or NodeJs backends. The PHP version of HAX CMS prior to version 26.0.0 has an authenticated file overwrite vulnerability. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to configure malicious Git filter commands and
- 8.1 High severity
Single-A: External Control of File Name or Path
The ugw-restoreinfo method allows a remote attacker with user privileges to delete arbitrary local files due to insufficient validation of user-controlled input.
- 8.1 High severity
Single-A: External Control of File Name or Path
The ugw-restore method allows a remote attacker with user privileges to delete arbitrary local files due to insufficient validation of user-controlled input.
- 8.1 High severity
Single-A: External Control of File Name or Path
The ugw-logstop method allows a remote attacker with user privileges to delete arbitrary local files due to insufficient validation of user-controlled input.
- 8.1 High severity
Single-A: External Control of File Name or Path
The ugw-delete-file method allows a remote attacker with user privileges to delete arbitrary local files due to insufficient validation of user-controlled input.
- 8.1 High severity
Single-A: External Control of File Name or Path
The bac-scanresult method allows a remote attacker with user privileges to delete arbitrary local files due to insufficient validation of user-controlled input.
- 7.3 High severity
Online Food Ordering System: External Control of File Name or Path
A vulnerability was detected in SourceCodester Online Food Ordering System 2.0. Affected by this issue is the function include of the file /index.php. The manipulation of the argument page results in file inclusion. The attack can be launched remotely. The exp
- 8.1 High severity
UFO: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
Microsoft UFO open-source framework for intelligent automation across devices and platforms. In 3.0.1-4-ge2626659, Microsoft UFO uses the user-controlled task_name value directly when constructing session log paths. An authenticated client can supply path trav
- 8.2 High severity
dalfox: External Control of File Name or Path
Dalfox is a powerful open-source XSS scanner and utility focused on automation. Prior to 2.13.0, when dalfox is run in REST API server mode, the output, output-all, and debug fields in model.Options are JSON-tagged and deserialized directly from the attacker's
- 7.5 High severity
dalfox: External Control of File Name or Path
Dalfox is a powerful open-source XSS scanner and utility focused on automation. Prior to 2.13.0, when dalfox is run in REST API server mode, the custom-payload-file field in model.Options is JSON-tagged and deserialized directly from the attacker's request bod
- 8.8 High severity
Jenkins Email Extension Plugin: External Control of File Name or Path
Jenkins Email Extension Plugin 1933.v45cec755423f and earlier allows inlining images as `base64` in email content by setting the `data-inline` attribute, without restrictions on the image URLs that can be inlined, allowing attackers able to control the email c
- 8.1 High severity
HTTP::Daemon: External Control of File Name or Path
HTTP::Daemon versions before 6.17 for Perl allow OS command injection via send_file(). send_file() opens its string argument with Perl's 2-arg open(). The 2-arg form interprets magic prefixes: '| cmd' and 'cmd |' open a pipe to a subprocess, '> path' and '>> p
- 8.6 High severity
Terrascan: Server-Side Request Forgery
Terrascan v1.18.3 and prior are vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) via external URL resolution in uploaded IaC templates when running in server mode. When Terrascan parses uploaded ARM templates or CloudFormation templates, it resolves external U
- 8.6 High severity
Terrascan: Server-Side Request Forgery
Terrascan v1.18.3 and prior are vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) via the remote_url parameter in the remote directory scan endpoint (POST /v1/{iac}/{iacVersion}/{cloud}/remote/dir/scan) when running in server mode. An unauthenticated remote att
- 7.5 High severity
Mailinspector: External Control of File Name or Path
HSC MailInspector v5.3.3-7 contains a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability caused by improper control of user-supplied file paths. The endpoint /vendor/phpunit/phpunit.php processes user-controlled parameters that directly affect file access operations wit
- 7.1 High severity
apm: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
Microsoft APM is an open-source, community-driven dependency manager for AI agents. Prior to 0.8.12, Microsoft APM normalizes marketplace plugins by copying plugin components referenced in plugin.json into .apm/. The manifest fields agents, skills, commands, a
- 8.2 High severity
gotenberg: External Control of File Name or Path
Gotenberg is a Docker-powered stateless API for PDF files. Prior to 8.31.0, Gotenberg only checks if the tag is exactly FileName, so System:FileName slips right through and ExifTool happily renames the file. This allows remote attackers to move, rename, and ch
- 8.4 High severity
STIGQter: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
STIGQter is an open-source reimplementation of DISA's STIG Viewer. From 0.1.2 to before 1.2.7, an attacker can achieve local code execution (LCE) with the privileges of the user running STIGQter. This requires user interaction: the victim must open the malicio
- 8.1 High severity
Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings…: External Control of File Name or Path
The Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings Plugin plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.107. This is due to insufficient file path validation in the become-dealer logo upload flow. The pl
- 7.8 High severity
Zoom Workplace VDI Plugin: Externally Controlled Reference to a Resource in Another Sphere
External Control of File Name or Path in the Zoom Workplace VDI Plugin Windows Universal Installer before version 6.6.11 may allow an authenticated user to conduct an escalation of privilege via local access.
- 8.8 High severity
WildFire WF-500 and WF-500-B: External Control of File Name or Path
An arbitrary File Read and Delete Vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks WildFire® WF-500 and WF-500-B appliances enables users to read sensitive information and delete arbitrary files. This vulnerability affects WF-500 and WF-500-B appliances running in the defa
- 7.5 High severity
changedetection.io: External Control of File Name or Path
changedetection.io is a free open source web page change detection tool. Prior to 0.55.1, the vulnerability is caused by trusting attacker-controlled snapshot paths restored from backup files. The vulnerable flow starts in the backup restore logic. When a back
- 7.8 High severity
Windows 10 Version 21H2: External Control of File Name or Path
Access of resource using incompatible type ('type confusion') in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
- 8.5 High severity
JunoClaw is an agentic AI platform built on Juno Network.
JunoClaw is an agentic AI platform built on Juno Network. Prior to 0.x.y-security-1, the upload_wasm MCP tool accepted a filesystem path from the agent and uploaded whatever bytes the path resolved to, with no validation of location, symlink target, file size,
- 9.6 Critical severity
Xtraction: External Control of File Name or Path
External control of a file name in Ivanti Xtraction before version 2026.2 allows a remote authenticated attacker to read sensitive files and write arbitrary HTML files to a web directory, leading to information disclosure and possible client-side attacks.
- 7.7 High severity
grav-plugin-form: External Control of File Name or Path
The form plugin for Grav adds the ability to create and use forms. Prior to 9.1.0 , there is an unauthenticated page-content overwrite via file upload (GHSA-w4rc-p66m-x6qq). Public form uploads now strip path components from the POST-supplied filename and hard
- 8.2 High severity
i18next-fs-backend: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
i18next-fs-backend is a backend layer for i18next using in Node.js and for Deno to load translations from the filesystem. Prior to version 2.6.4, i18next-fs-backend substitutes the lng and ns options directly into the configured loadPath / addPath templates an
- 8.8 High severity
Secure Email Gateway: External Control of File Name or Path
SEPPmail Secure Email Gateway before version 15.0.4 contains an unauthenticated path traversal vulnerability in the identifier parameter of /api.app/attachment/preview that allows remote attackers to read arbitrary local files and trigger deletion of files in
- 9.9 Critical severity
wazuh: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
Wazuh is a free and open source platform used for threat prevention, detection, and response. From version 4.4.0 to before version 4.14.4, a path traversal vulnerability in Wazuh's cluster synchronization extraction routine allows an authenticated cluster peer
- 7.2 High severity
HTTP Headers: External Control of File Name or Path
The HTTP Headers plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to External Control of File Name or Path leading to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to and including 1.19.2. This is due to insufficient validation of the file path stored in the 'hh_htpasswd_path' o