CVE-2022-23470 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) affecting the Galaxy platform, an open-source data analysis tool widely used in bioinformatics and scientific research. The vulnerability exists in Galaxy versions 22.01 through 22.05, introduced after the platform switched its web server to Gunicorn for serving static content internally. Due to improper limitation of pathnames, an attacker can exploit this flaw to perform arbitrary file reads on the server, accessing any file that the operating system user running Galaxy has permission to read. This can include sensitive configuration files, credentials, or other data stored on the server. The vulnerability arises because Galaxy's internal middleware serving static files does not properly restrict pathname traversal sequences, allowing crafted requests to escape the intended static content directory. The issue is mitigated if a reverse proxy such as Nginx or Apache is used to serve the /static/* content instead of Galaxy's internal server. The vulnerability has been addressed in a patch (commit e5e6bda4f) and will be included in future Galaxy releases, but users running affected versions are advised to manually apply the patch. No known exploits have been observed in the wild to date. Because the vulnerability allows unauthorized reading of arbitrary files without authentication or user interaction, it poses a significant risk to confidentiality and potentially to integrity if sensitive data is exposed and leveraged in further attacks.

For European organizations, especially research institutions, universities, and biotech companies that rely on the Galaxy platform for data analysis, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive research data, user credentials, or internal configuration files. Exposure of such information could facilitate further attacks, including privilege escalation or lateral movement within networks. Since Galaxy is often deployed in multi-user environments handling sensitive scientific data, the confidentiality breach could undermine research integrity and intellectual property protection. Additionally, if attackers gain access to configuration files or credentials, they could disrupt availability by modifying or deleting critical files or injecting malicious code. The impact is heightened in environments where Galaxy is deployed without a reverse proxy, as the mitigation provided by Nginx or Apache is absent. Given the collaborative nature of European research projects and the regulatory environment around data protection (e.g., GDPR), such a vulnerability could also have compliance and reputational consequences.

European organizations should immediately audit their Galaxy deployments to determine if they are running affected versions (22.01 to 22.05) and whether static content is served internally via Gunicorn without a reverse proxy. If so, they should apply the official patch from commit e5e6bda4f manually if the updated Galaxy release is not yet available. As a best practice, organizations should configure a robust reverse proxy such as Nginx or Apache to serve static content, which effectively mitigates this vulnerability by isolating static file serving from the application server. Additionally, strict file system permissions should be enforced to limit the operating system user's access to only necessary files, reducing the potential impact of arbitrary file reads. Regular monitoring of web server logs for suspicious path traversal attempts should be implemented to detect exploitation attempts early. Finally, organizations should consider network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of Galaxy servers to trusted users only, minimizing the attack surface.