dbcve.org
DotcmsApplication

CVE-2022-37033

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 21.06.12 / 22.03.4 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
In dotCMS 5.x-22.06, TempFileAPI allows a user to create a temporary file based on a passed in URL, while attempting to block any SSRF access to local IP addresses or private subnets. In resolving this URL, the TempFileAPI follows any 302 redirects that the remote URL returns. Because there is no re-validation of the redirect URL, the TempFileAPI can be used to return data from those local/private hosts that should not be accessible remotely.

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 confidence

The TempFileAPI in dotCMS attempts to block SSRF attacks by preventing access to local IP addresses and private subnets, but it follows 302 redirects without re-validating the final destination URL against the blocklist. This allows attackers to bypass the SSRF protection by using a public server that redirects to internal/private resources.

MitigationApply the vendor patch for CVE-2022-37033 which implements re-validation of redirect URLs before following them, or add custom validation logic to verify all redirect destinations against the local/private IP blocklist.

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
DotcmsApplication
Affected:< 21.06.12>= 5.2.0, < 22.08>= 22.03, < 22.03.4

CVSS 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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify dotCMS installation
    Check for dotCMS by looking for the 'dotmarketing' directory structure, or query the server for the dotCMS login page (typically at /dotAdmin/ or /c/portal/login). Confirm the application serves dotCMS content.
    Affected if The server is running dotCMS and the TempFileAPI endpoint is accessible.
  2. Determine installed dotCMS version
    Check the version.properties or build.properties file in the dotCMS installation directory, or access the /api/v1/version endpoint if available. Compare the version against affected ranges: < 21.06.12, >= 5.2.0 and < 22.08, >= 22.03 and < 22.03.4.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of the affected version ranges.
  3. Verify TempFileAPI is accessible
    Confirm the TempFileAPI endpoint exists by checking if /api/v1/tempFile/ or similar paths respond on the dotCMS server. This endpoint handles external URL requests.
    Affected if The TempFileAPI endpoint is exposed and accepts external URL parameters.
  4. Check SSRF protection configuration
    Inspect the TempFileAPI code or configuration for the IP blocklist logic that prevents access to localhost (127.0.0.1) and private IP ranges (10.x.x.x, 172.16-31.x.x, 192.168.x.x). Look for validation of the 'url' or 'redirectUrl' parameter.
    Affected if The TempFileAPI has IP blocklist logic but does NOT re-validate the destination URL after following a 302 redirect.

You are affected if your dotCMS version is in the affected ranges AND the TempFileAPI is accessible, as the SSRF protection can be bypassed via 302 redirects to internal/private resources.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 21.06.12 / 22.03.4 / 22.08 or later
Fixed in 21.06.1222.03.422.08
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor patch for CVE-2022-37033 which implements re-validation of redirect URLs before following them, or add custom validation logic to verify all redirect destinations against the local/private IP blocklist.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

22.08 or later (latest 22.x stable release)

  1. 1. Backup your current dotcms installation and database
  2. 2. Review the release notes for the target upgrade version for any breaking changes
  3. 3. Test the upgrade in a non-production environment first
  4. 4. Upgrade dotcms to version 22.08 or later (or the latest 22.x stable release)
  5. 5. Verify the TempFileAPI no longer follows unvalidated redirects
  6. 6. Confirm normal file upload functionality still works
Caveat Review 22.x release notes for potential breaking changes from your current version before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Dotcms Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-37033 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-37033 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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