CVE-2023-36827

ethyca-fides Webserver API Path Traversal vulnerability

Workarounds

If the Fides webserver API is not directly accessible to attackers and is instead deployed behind a reverse proxy as recommended in Ethyca's security best practice documentation, and the reverse proxy is an AWS application load balancer, the vulnerability can't be exploited by these attackers. An AWS application load balancer will reject this attack with a 400 error.

Additionally, any secrets supplied to the container using environment variables rather than a fides.toml configuration file are not affected by this vulnerability.

A path traversal (directory traversal) vulnerability affects fides versions lower than 2.15.1, allowing remote attackers to access arbitrary files on the fides webserver container's filesystem.

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-2023-36827 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (2.15.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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The vulnerability is patched in fides 2.15.1. Users should upgrade to this version.

1. What is CVE-2023-36827? CVE-2023-36827 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in ethyca-fides (pip), affecting versions < 2.15.1. It is fixed in 2.15.1. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-36827? CVE-2023-36827 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (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 ethyca-fides are affected by CVE-2023-36827? ethyca-fides (pip) versions < 2.15.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-36827? Yes. CVE-2023-36827 is fixed in 2.15.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-36827 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-36827 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-2023-36827 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-2023-36827? Upgrade ethyca-fides to 2.15.1 or later.

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