CVE-2023-30451

Problem

Configurable storages using the local driver of the File Abstraction Layer (FAL) could be configured to access directories outside of the root directory of the corresponding project. The system setting in BE/lockRootPath was not evaluated by the file abstraction layer component. An administrator-level backend user account is required to exploit this vulnerability.

ℹ️ Strong security defaults - Manual actions required

see Important: #102800 changelog

Assuming that a web project is located in the directory /var/www/example.org (the "project root path" for Composer-based projects) and the publicly accessible directory is located at /var/www/example.org/public (the "public root path"), accessing resources via the File Abstraction Layer component is limited to the mentioned directories.

To grant additional access to directories, they must be explicitly configured in the system settings of $GLOBALS['TYPO3_CONF_VARS']['BE']['lockRootPath'] - either using the Install Tool or according to deployment techniques. The existing setting has been extended to support multiple directories configured as an array of strings.

Example:

$GLOBALS['TYPO3_CONF_VARS']['BE']['lockRootPath'] = [
  ‘/var/shared/documents/’,
  ‘/var/shared/images/’,
];

❗ Storages that reference directories not explicitly granted will be marked as "offline" internally - no resources can be used in the website's frontend and backend context.

Credits

Thanks to TYPO3 core & security team members Oliver Hader and Benjamin Franzke who fixed the issue.

References

• TYPO3-CORE-SA-2024-001

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-2023-30451 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). 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 (8.7.57, 9.5.46, 10.4.43, 11.5.35, 12.4.11, 13.0.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Update to TYPO3 versions 8.7.57 ELTS, 9.5.46 ELTS, 10.4.43 ELTS, 11.5.35 LTS, 12.4.11 LTS, 13.0.1 that fix the problem described.

1. What is CVE-2023-30451? CVE-2023-30451 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in typo3/cms-core (composer), affecting versions >= 8.0.0, <= 8.7.56. It is fixed in 8.7.57, 9.5.46, 10.4.43, 11.5.35, 12.4.11, 13.0.1. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-30451? CVE-2023-30451 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). 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 typo3/cms-core are affected by CVE-2023-30451? typo3/cms-core (composer) versions >= 8.0.0, <= 8.7.56 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-30451? Yes. CVE-2023-30451 is fixed in 8.7.57, 9.5.46, 10.4.43, 11.5.35, 12.4.11, 13.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-30451 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-30451 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-2023-30451 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-2023-30451?
   • Upgrade typo3/cms-core to 8.7.57 or later
   • Upgrade typo3/cms-core to 9.5.46 or later
   • Upgrade typo3/cms-core to 10.4.43 or later
   • Upgrade typo3/cms-core to 11.5.35 or later
   • Upgrade typo3/cms-core to 12.4.11 or later
   • Upgrade typo3/cms-core to 13.0.1 or later

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