CVE-2022-31195

Apply the patch to your DSpace

If at all possible, we recommend upgrading your DSpace site based on the upgrade instructions. However, if you are unable to do so, you can manually apply the above patches as follows:

1. Download the appropriate patch file to the machine where DSpace is running
2. From the [dspace-src] folder, apply the patch, e.g. git apply [name-of-file].patch
3. Now, update your DSpace site (based loosely on the Upgrade instructions). This generally involves three steps:
   1. Rebuild DSpace, e.g. mvn -U clean package (This will recompile all DSpace code)
   2. Redeploy DSpace, e.g. ant update (This will copy all updated WARs / configs to your installation directory). Depending on your setup you also may need to copy the updated WARs over to your Tomcat webapps folder.
   3. Restart Tomcat

Workarounds

As a basic workaround, you may block all access to the following URL paths:

• If you are using the XMLUI, block all access to /admin/batchimport path (this is the URL of the Admin Batch Import tool). Keep in mind, if your site uses the path "/xmlui", then you'd need to block access to /xmlui/admin/batchimport.
• If you are using the JSPUI, block all access to /dspace-admin/batchimport path (this is the URL of the Admin Batch Import tool). Keep in mind, if your site uses the path "/jspui", then you'd need to block access to /jspui/dspace-admin/batchimport.

Keep in mind, only an Administrative user or a user with command-line access to the server is able to import/upload SAF packages. Therefore, assuming those users do not blindly upload untrusted SAF packages, then it is unlikely your site could be impacted by this vulnerability.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

• Email us at [email protected]

ItemImportServiceImpl is vulnerable to a path traversal vulnerability. This means a malicious SAF (simple archive format) package could cause a file/directory to be created anywhere the Tomcat/DSpace user can write to on the server. However, this path traversal vulnerability is only possible by a user with special privileges (either Administrators or someone with command-line access to the server). This vulnerability impacts the XMLUI, JSPUI and command-line.

This vulnerability does NOT impact 7.x.

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-2022-31195 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (High). The vector is network-reachable, high 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 (5.11, 6.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

DSpace 6.x:

• Fixed in 6.4 via commit: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/commit/7af52a0883a9dbc475cf3001f04ed11b24c8a4c0
• 6.x patch file: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/commit/7af52a0883a9dbc475cf3001f04ed11b24c8a4c0.patch (may be applied manually if an immediate upgrade to 6.4 or 7.x is not possible)

DSpace 5.x:

• Fixed in 5.11 via commit: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/commit/56e76049185bbd87c994128a9d77735ad7af0199
• 5.x patch file: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/commit/56e76049185bbd87c994128a9d77735ad7af0199.patch (may be applied manually if an immediate upgrade to 5.11 or 6.4 or 7.x is not possible)

1. What is CVE-2022-31195? CVE-2022-31195 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in org.dspace:dspace-api (maven), affecting versions >= 4.0, < 5.11. It is fixed in 5.11, 6.4. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-31195? CVE-2022-31195 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (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.
3. Which versions of org.dspace:dspace-api are affected by CVE-2022-31195? org.dspace:dspace-api (maven) versions >= 4.0, < 5.11 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-31195? Yes. CVE-2022-31195 is fixed in 5.11, 6.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-31195 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-31195 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2022-31195 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2022-31195?
   • Upgrade org.dspace:dspace-api to 5.11 or later
   • Upgrade org.dspace:dspace-api to 6.4 or later