CVE-2023-30548

Path traversal vulnerability in gatsby-plugin-sharp

The gatsby-plugin-sharp plugin prior to versions 5.8.1 and 4.25.1 contains a path traversal vulnerability exposed when running the Gatsby develop server (gatsby develop).

The following steps can be used to reproduce the vulnerability:

# Create a new Gatsby project, and install gatsby-plugin-sharp
$ npm init gatsby
$ cd my-gatsby-site
$ npm install gatsby-plugin-sharp


# Add the plugin to gatsby-config.js
module.exports = {
  plugins: [
    {
      resolve: `gatsby-plugin-sharp`,
    },
  ]
}

# Start the Gatsby develop server
$ gatsby develop

# Execute the path traversal vulnerability
$ curl "http://127.0.0.1:8000/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/%2e%2e/etc/passwd"

It should be noted that by default gatsby develop is only accessible via the localhost 127.0.0.1, and one would need to intentionally expose the server to other interfaces to exploit this vulnerability by using server options such as --host 0.0.0.0, -H 0.0.0.0, or the GATSBY_HOST=0.0.0.0 environment variable.

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-2023-30548 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (Medium). 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 (5.8.1, 4.25.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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A patch has been introduced in [email protected] and [email protected] which mitigates the issue by ensuring that included paths remain within the project directory.

1. What is CVE-2023-30548? CVE-2023-30548 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in gatsby-plugin-sharp (npm), affecting versions >= 5.0.0, < 5.8.1. It is fixed in 5.8.1, 4.25.1. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-30548? CVE-2023-30548 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (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 gatsby-plugin-sharp are affected by CVE-2023-30548? gatsby-plugin-sharp (npm) versions >= 5.0.0, < 5.8.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-30548? Yes. CVE-2023-30548 is fixed in 5.8.1, 4.25.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-30548 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-30548 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-2023-30548 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-2023-30548?
   • Upgrade gatsby-plugin-sharp to 5.8.1 or later
   • Upgrade gatsby-plugin-sharp to 4.25.1 or later