CVE-2022-38202
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 · uneditedThere is a path traversal vulnerability in Esri ArcGIS Server versions 10.9.1 and below. Successful exploitation may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker traverse the file system to access files outside of the intended directory on ArcGIS Server. This could lead to the disclosure of sensitive site configuration information (not user datasets).
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 confidenceA path traversal vulnerability in Esri ArcGIS Server versions 10.9.1 and below allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to use directory traversal sequences (e.g., '../') to access files outside the intended web root directory. This exposes sensitive server configuration files but not user datasets.
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<= 10.9.1CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed ArcGIS Server versionAccess the ArcGIS Server Administrator Directory at https://<server>/arcgis/admin/ or use the ArcGIS Server Post Installation wizard. Alternatively, check the version file in the installation directory if local access is available.Affected if The installed version is 10.9.1 or any version lower than 10.9.1.
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Confirm web services are exposedVerify that ArcGIS Server REST services are accessible over HTTP/HTTPS from external or untrusted networks. Check the GIS server site properties and published service endpoints.Affected if The server has exposed REST or SOAP services accessible over the network, as the path traversal flaw is exploited via HTTP requests to these services.
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Verify no web application firewall or request filtering is in placeInspect any reverse proxy, load balancer, or WAF configuration sitting in front of ArcGIS Server. Look for rules that inspect and block directory traversal sequences like '../' or '..\' in URL parameters.Affected if There is no WAF, reverse proxy filtering, or request sanitization configured to block directory traversal patterns in incoming HTTP requests.
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Check for sensitive file exposureReview web server logs and configuration for evidence of unauthorized access to files outside the web root, particularly configuration files in the ArcGIS Server installation directory or system directories.Affected if Logs show successful traversal attempts accessing files outside the intended web root directory.
The environment is affected if ArcGIS Server version 10.9.1 or lower is installed AND the REST/SOAP services are network-accessible AND no request filtering blocks directory traversal sequences in URLs.
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 · scopedUpgrade ArcGIS Server to a version above 10.9.1, or implement WAF rules to block directory traversal sequences in HTTP requests as a compensatory control.
ArcGIS Server 10.9.2 or later
- Identify the current ArcGIS Server version by navigating to the ArcGIS Server Administrator Directory (e.g., https://server:6443/arcgis/admin) and checking the version information
- Download and install ArcGIS Server version 10.9.2 or later from the Esri Customer Portal (https://my.esri.com/)
- After upgrading, verify the vulnerability is remediated by attempting to access files outside the intended directory through the affected endpoint (e.g., REST services with path traversal attempts)
- Review and restrict file system permissions to ensure the ArcGIS Server account has access only to necessary directories
- Ensure the ArcGIS Server is behind a properly configured web application firewall (WAF) to provide additional protection against path traversal attacks
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-38202 — 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-2022-38202 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
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