Summary
org.neo4j.procedure:apoc Path Traversal Vulnerability
Workarounds
If you cannot upgrade the library, you can control the allowlist of the procedures that can be used in your system, and/or turn off local file access by setting apoc.export.file.enabled=false
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in neo4j-apoc-procedures
- Email us at [email protected]
Credits
We want to publicly recognise the contribution Adam Reziouk - Airbus.
Impact
A Path Traversal Vulnerability found in the apoc.export.* procedures of apoc plugins in Neo4j Graph database.
The issue allows a malicious actor to potentially break out of the expected directory. The vulnerability is such that files could only be created but not overwritten.
For the vulnerability to be exploited, an attacker would need access to execute an arbitrary query, either by having access to an authenticated Neo4j client, or a Cypher injection vulnerability in an application. The procedure would need to have been allow listed in the neo4j configuration as well as having the apoc config apoc.export.file.enabled set to true.
On a UNIX based system the following query allows arbitrary write access to the tmp folder:
CALL apoc.export.csv.query('RETURN 1', 'file:///..//..//..//..//tmp/test.txt', {})
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
CVE-2022-23532 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (4.3.0.12, 4.4.0.12); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
The users should aim to use the latest released version compatible with their Neo4j version. The minimum versions containing patch for this vulnerability are 4.4.0.12 and 4.3.0.12.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-23532? CVE-2022-23532 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in org.neo4j.procedure:apoc (maven), affecting versions < 4.3.0.12. It is fixed in 4.3.0.12, 4.4.0.12. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is CVE-2022-23532? CVE-2022-23532 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of org.neo4j.procedure:apoc are affected by CVE-2022-23532? org.neo4j.procedure:apoc (maven) versions < 4.3.0.12 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-23532? Yes. CVE-2022-23532 is fixed in 4.3.0.12, 4.4.0.12. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-23532 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-23532 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2022-23532 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2022-23532?
- Upgrade
org.neo4j.procedure:apocto 4.3.0.12 or later - Upgrade
org.neo4j.procedure:apocto 4.4.0.12 or later
- Upgrade