CVE-2022-45269 is a directory traversal vulnerability identified in the component SCS.Web.Server.SPI/1.0 of Linx Sphere LINX version 7.35.ST15. This vulnerability allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to read arbitrary files on the affected system by manipulating file path inputs to traverse directories outside the intended scope. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), indicating that the software fails to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied file paths, enabling access to sensitive files beyond the web server's root directory. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting a high severity level, with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction needed (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), high confidentiality impact (C:H), and no impact on integrity or availability (I:N/A:N). This means an attacker can remotely exploit this vulnerability without authentication or user interaction to read sensitive files, potentially exposing confidential information such as configuration files, credentials, or other sensitive data stored on the server. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the published date (December 12, 2022), and no official patches or vendor advisories are currently available. The affected product, Linx Sphere LINX 7.35.ST15, is a specialized software component, and the exact market penetration or usage details are not specified in the provided data.

For European organizations using Linx Sphere LINX 7.35.ST15, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to confidentiality. Attackers can remotely access sensitive files without authentication, potentially leading to exposure of critical business data, intellectual property, or credentials that could facilitate further attacks. This is particularly concerning for sectors handling sensitive personal data under GDPR regulations, such as finance, healthcare, and government entities. The lack of impact on integrity and availability reduces the risk of direct system disruption but does not mitigate the risk of data breaches. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation (no privileges or user interaction required) increases the likelihood of successful attacks if the software is deployed in internet-facing environments. European organizations with web-facing servers running this component are at risk of data leakage, regulatory non-compliance, reputational damage, and potential financial penalties.

Given the absence of official patches, European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Conduct an immediate inventory to identify any deployments of Linx Sphere LINX 7.35.ST15, particularly those exposed to external networks. 2) Restrict network access to the affected component by implementing strict firewall rules or network segmentation to limit exposure to trusted internal networks only. 3) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block directory traversal patterns (e.g., sequences like '../' or encoded variants) in HTTP requests targeting the vulnerable component. 4) Review and harden file system permissions on servers hosting the vulnerable software to minimize the impact of unauthorized file reads, ensuring sensitive files are not accessible by the web server user. 5) Monitor logs for unusual file access patterns or repeated attempts to exploit directory traversal. 6) Engage with the software vendor or community to obtain updates or patches and plan for timely application once available. 7) Consider deploying intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) with signatures targeting this vulnerability. 8) As a longer-term measure, evaluate alternative software solutions or updated versions that do not contain this vulnerability.