CVE-2022-26352
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAn issue was discovered in the ContentResource API in dotCMS 3.0 through 22.02. Attackers can craft a multipart form request to post a file whose filename is not initially sanitized. This allows directory traversal, in which the file is saved outside of the intended storage location. If anonymous content creation is enabled, this allows an unauthenticated attacker to upload an executable file, such as a .jsp file, that can lead to remote code execution.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceDirectory traversal vulnerability in dotCMS ContentResource API allows attackers to manipulate file upload paths via crafted multipart form requests with '..' sequences in filenames. When anonymous content creation is enabled, unauthenticated attackers can upload executable .jsp files to arbitrary locations, achieving remote code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 3.0, <= 22.02CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed dotCMS versionAccess the dotCMS admin panel and navigate to System > Site > About, or check the version property in the dotcms-config.properties file. Alternatively, check the build number in the WAR file or the version.txt in the installation directory.Affected if The installed version is greater than or equal to 3.0 and less than or equal to 22.02.
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Verify if anonymous content creation is enabledIn the dotCMS admin interface, go to System > Configuration > Content Manager Settings, or inspect the CMS_ANONYMOUS_USER_ENABLED or related configuration properties in the dotcms-config.properties file. Check for any content types that allow anonymous creation.Affected if Anonymous content creation or anonymous user access to content resources is enabled, allowing unauthenticated access to the file upload functionality.
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Inspect file storage directories for unexpected filesExamine the server's filesystem, particularly directories outside the intended upload path (typically the assets or files directory). Look for .jsp files, .jspx files, or other executable file types in locations such as the web root, TEMP directories, or other system directories.Affected if Any .jsp or other executable files exist outside the designated content storage directory, indicating successful exploitation.
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Review server access logs for traversal patternsSearch web server logs (such as Apache, Nginx, or the application server logs) for POST requests to /api/content resource or similar endpoints that contain '../' sequences or URL-encoded traversal patterns in filename parameters.Affected if Logs show requests containing directory traversal sequences (such as ../../) in upload parameters, indicating exploitation attempts.
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Check ContentResource API configurationReview the dotCMS configuration files (dotcms-config.properties, dotcms-config-cluster.properties) for any settings related to ContentResource API, file upload paths, and upload validation. Verify if path sanitization is properly configured.Affected if File upload path validation is disabled or misconfigured, allowing traversal sequences to pass through unfiltered.
A system is affected if it runs dotCMS version 3.0 through 22.02 with anonymous content creation enabled and contains unexpected executable files in directories outside the intended upload storage area.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedDisable anonymous content creation if not required; upgrade to dotCMS 22.03 or later which includes filename sanitization; restrict upload directory permissions and enforce allowlist-based file type validation.
dotCMS 22.03 or later
- 1. Identify the current dotCMS version by checking the admin panel or the war/jar file version.
- 2. Upgrade dotCMS to version 22.03 or later, as versions after 22.02 contain the fix for this directory traversal vulnerability.
- 3. After upgrading, verify that anonymous content creation is disabled if it was previously enabled, as this was a prerequisite for unauthenticated exploitation.
- 4. Review and test the ContentResource API functionality to ensure the upgrade did not break legitimate content management workflows.
- 5. Monitor for any unusual file uploads or unexpected directories created in the filesystem that could indicate attempted exploitation.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-26352 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-26352 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data