GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8

Description

There is a path traversal vulnerability in any DotVVM application started in Debug mode, if at least one resource with the FileResourceLocation has been added. The vulnerability allows an attacker to read arbitrary files from the filesystem accessible by the web application (i.e. appsettings.json or other files containing secrets).

Workarounds

If you cannot update to a patched version, avoid running a publicly accessible DotVVM application in Debug mode (Development environment in Asp.Net Core). It is recommend adding the following statement to the DotvvmStartup class:

    config.Debug = false; // TODO: workaround for GHSA-6q65-j4jw-9cg8, remove after updating DotVVM

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.

GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8 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 (4.3.8, 5.0.0-preview03-final, 4.2.10); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

The bug is patched in versions 4.2.10, 4.3.8 and 5.0.0-preview03-final (and newer).

Apart from updating DotVVM, it is also recommend invalidating any secrets which could have been leaked by an application deployed in Debug mode (such as database passwords).

1. What is GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8? GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in DotVVM (nuget), affecting versions >= 4.3.0-preview01-final, <= 4.3.7. It is fixed in 4.3.8, 5.0.0-preview03-final, 4.2.10. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8? GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8 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 DotVVM are affected by GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8? DotVVM (nuget) versions >= 4.3.0-preview01-final, <= 4.3.7 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8? Yes. GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8 is fixed in 4.3.8, 5.0.0-preview03-final, 4.2.10. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8 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 GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8 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 GHSA-6Q65-J4JW-9CG8?
   • Upgrade DotVVM to 4.3.8 or later
   • Upgrade DotVVM to 5.0.0-preview03-final or later
   • Upgrade DotVVM to 4.2.10 or later