CVE-2025-47512 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-22, which pertains to improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as a path traversal vulnerability. This vulnerability affects the Tainacan product, an open-source digital repository platform used for managing and publishing digital collections. The affected versions include all versions up to and including 0.21.14. The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to perform path traversal attacks due to insufficient validation or sanitization of user-supplied input that controls file or directory paths. Exploiting this flaw, an attacker can manipulate file path parameters to access files and directories outside the intended restricted directory boundaries. According to the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H), the attack can be performed remotely over the network without any privileges or user interaction, making it highly exploitable. The impact is scoped as changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, the availability impact is high, indicating that attackers can cause denial of service or disrupt the normal operation of the Tainacan platform by accessing or manipulating critical files or directories. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, and no patches are currently linked, suggesting that mitigation may require vendor updates or manual intervention. The vulnerability was published on May 23, 2025, with the initial reservation on May 7, 2025.

For European organizations using Tainacan, particularly cultural institutions, libraries, universities, and digital archives that rely on this platform to manage valuable digital collections, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to service disruption, potentially rendering digital repositories inaccessible or unstable, which could interrupt access to critical cultural and academic resources. Although confidentiality and integrity are not directly compromised, the high availability impact could cause operational downtime, affecting user trust and institutional reputation. Additionally, if attackers gain access to system files or configuration data through path traversal, they might leverage this foothold for further attacks, such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. Given the remote and unauthenticated nature of the exploit, attackers can target vulnerable systems en masse, increasing the risk of widespread disruption. Organizations in Europe that have integrated Tainacan into their digital infrastructure should be aware of this threat and prioritize remediation to maintain service continuity and protect digital assets.

Immediate mitigation steps include restricting access to Tainacan instances to trusted networks or VPNs to reduce exposure to unauthenticated remote attackers. Administrators should implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block path traversal patterns in HTTP requests. Monitoring logs for unusual file access attempts or errors related to file path handling can provide early detection of exploitation attempts. Until an official patch is released, consider applying temporary code-level mitigations such as input validation and sanitization on all file path parameters, enforcing strict whitelist-based path controls, and disabling any unnecessary file upload or download functionalities. Regular backups of the digital repository data and configuration files are essential to enable rapid recovery in case of disruption. Organizations should subscribe to vendor advisories and security mailing lists to promptly apply patches once available. Additionally, conducting penetration testing focused on path traversal and file access controls can help identify residual weaknesses.