CVE-2022-45184
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 · uneditedThe Web Server in Ironman Software PowerShell Universal v3.x and v2.x allows for directory traversal outside of the configuration directory, which allows a remote attacker with administrator privilege to create, delete, update, and display files outside of the configuration directory via a crafted HTTP request to particular endpoints in the web server. Patched Versions are 3.5.3 and 3.4.7.
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 confidenceThe Web Server in Ironman Software PowerShell Universal v3.x and v2.x contains a directory traversal vulnerability that allows a remote authenticated administrator to access, create, delete, and modify files outside the intended configuration directory via crafted HTTP requests to specific endpoints.
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>= 3.0.0, < 3.4.7>= 3.5.0, < 3.5.3CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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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Check PowerShell Universal installed versionRun 'Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\PowerShellUniversal" | Select-Object DisplayVersion' or use 'pwsh -Command "Get-Content $env:ProgramData\PowerShellUniversal\version.txt"' if availableAffected if Version is >= 3.0.0 and < 3.4.7, or >= 3.5.0 and < 3.5.3
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Verify admin web interface is network-accessibleAttempt to access the PowerShell Universal admin endpoint (default port 5000 or configured port) from an external system or check firewall rules and reverse proxy configurationsAffected if The admin interface is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet
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Identify admin authentication configurationReview the PowerShell Universal configuration file (appsettings.json) for AuthenticationProvider settings, or check if the admin endpoints require authentication via 'Get-PSUEndpoint' in PowerShellAffected if Administrative endpoints are accessible without requiring valid administrator credentials
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Review HTTP access logs for path traversal patternsInspect PowerShell Universal logs in $env:ProgramData\PowerShellUniversal\Logs for HTTP requests containing "../" or "..\" sequences targeting admin endpointsAffected if Logs contain authenticated admin requests with directory traversal patterns outside the intended configuration directory
You are affected if your PowerShell Universal version falls within the vulnerable ranges and the admin web interface is accessible to remote authenticated administrators.
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 · scoped3.4.73.5.3
Upgrade PowerShell Universal to version 3.5.3 or 3.4.7 (or later) to remediate this vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict administrative access and monitor for suspicious HTTP requests with path traversal patterns.
Upgrade to 3.4.7 (if on 3.4.x line) or 3.5.3+ (if on 3.5.x line)
- Backup your current PowerShell Universal configuration and any custom scripts
- Identify your current version (check in the Universal Dashboard under Admin > Settings > General)
- Determine your upgrade path: if on 3.4.x, upgrade to 3.4.7; if on 3.5.x, upgrade to 3.5.3 or later
- Download the appropriate fixed version from ironmansoftware.com/downloads
- Stop the PowerShell Universal service before upgrading
- Install the new version using the installer or upgrade command
- Restart the PowerShell Universal service
- Verify the version has been updated in Admin > Settings > General
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-45184 — 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-2022-45184 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