CVE-2025-11849

Versions of the package mammoth from 0.3.25 and before 1.11.0; versions of the package mammoth from 0.3.25 and before 1.11.0; versions of the package mammoth before 1.11.0; versions of the package org.zwobble.mammoth:mammoth before 1.11.0 are vulnerable to Directory Traversal due to the lack of path or file type validation when processing a docx file containing an image with an external link (r:link attribute instead of embedded r:embed). The library resolves the URI to a file path and after reading, the content is encoded as base64 and included in the HTML output as a data URI. An attacker can read arbitrary files on the system where the conversion is performed or cause an excessive resources consumption by crafting a docx file that links to special device files such as /dev/random or /dev/zero.

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-2025-11849 has a CVSS score of 9.3 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (1.11.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2025-11849? CVE-2025-11849 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in mammoth (npm), affecting versions >= 0.3.25, < 1.11.0. It is fixed in 1.11.0. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2025-11849? CVE-2025-11849 has a CVSS score of 9.3 (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 packages are affected by CVE-2025-11849?
   • mammoth (npm) (versions >= 0.3.25, < 1.11.0)
   • org.zwobble.mammoth:mammoth (maven) (versions < 1.11.0)
   • Mammoth (nuget) (versions < 1.11.0)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2025-11849? Yes. CVE-2025-11849 is fixed in 1.11.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2025-11849 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-11849 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-2025-11849 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-2025-11849?
   • Upgrade mammoth to 1.11.0 or later
   • Upgrade org.zwobble.mammoth:mammoth to 1.11.0 or later
   • Upgrade mammoth to 1.11.0 or later
   • Upgrade Mammoth to 1.11.0 or later