Summary
Gatsby develop server has Local File Inclusion vulnerability
Workarounds
As stated above, by default gatsby develop is only exposed to the localhost 127.0.0.1. For those using the develop server in the default configuration no risk is posed. If other ranges are required, preventing the develop server from being exposed to untrusted interfaces or IP address ranges would mitigate the risk from this vulnerability.
We encourage projects to upgrade to the latest major release branch for all Gatsby plugins to ensure the latest security updates and bug fixes are received in a timely manner.
Credits
We would like to thank Maxwell Garrett of Assetnote for bringing the __file-code-frame issue to our attention.
For more information
Email us at [email protected].
Impact
The Gatsby framework prior to versions 4.25.7 and 5.9.1 contain a Local File Inclusion vulnerability in the __file-code-frame and __original-stack-frame paths, exposed when running the Gatsby develop server (gatsby develop).
The following steps can be used to reproduce the vulnerability:
# Create a new Gatsby project
$ npm init gatsby
$ cd my-gatsby-site
# Start the Gatsby develop server
$ gatsby develop
# Execute the Local File Inclusion vulnerability in __file-code-frame
$ curl "http://127.0.0.1:8000/__file-code-frame?filePath=/etc/passwd&lineNumber=1"
# Execute the Local File Inclusion vulnerability in __original-stack-frame
$ curl "http://127.0.0.1:8000/__original-stack-frame?moduleId=/etc/hosts&lineNumber=1&skipSourceMap=1"
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-2023-34238 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 (4.25.7, 5.9.1); 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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A patch has been introduced in [email protected] and [email protected] which mitigates the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-34238? CVE-2023-34238 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in gatsby (npm), affecting versions <= 4.25.6. It is fixed in 4.25.7, 5.9.1. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is CVE-2023-34238? CVE-2023-34238 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.
- Which versions of gatsby are affected by CVE-2023-34238? gatsby (npm) versions <= 4.25.6 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-34238? Yes. CVE-2023-34238 is fixed in 4.25.7, 5.9.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-34238 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-34238 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-2023-34238 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-2023-34238?
- Upgrade
gatsbyto 4.25.7 or later - Upgrade
gatsbyto 5.9.1 or later
- Upgrade