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DotcmsApplication

CVE-2022-45783

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 22.10.1 or later.
See remediation →
65/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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
An issue was discovered in dotCMS core 4.x through 22.10.2. An authenticated directory traversal vulnerability in the dotCMS API 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 · moderate confidence

An authenticated directory traversal vulnerability in dotCMS core versions 4.x through 22.10.2 allows authenticated users to manipulate file paths via the API, potentially writing or accessing files outside the intended directory. Combined with the ability to execute uploaded or created files, this leads to Remote Code Execution.

MitigationRestrict API access to trusted authenticated users only, implement strict input validation and path sanitization on all file path parameters in the affected API endpoints, and upgrade to a patched version once released.

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:>= 4.0.0, <= 22.10.1

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/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 checks

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

  1. Confirm dotCMS installation
    Identify if dotCMS is present on the system by checking common installation directories (e.g., /opt/dotcms, /var/lib/dotcms, C:\dotcms) or by running 'ps aux | grep dotcms' to find running dotCMS processes.
    Affected if dotCMS is installed and running on the system.
  2. Determine installed dotCMS version
    Locate the version file or check the admin interface for the version number. Typically found in the dotCMS installation directory or accessible via the /api/v1/version endpoint if the API is enabled.
    Affected if The installed version falls within the range >= 4.0.0 and <= 22.10.1.
  3. Verify API endpoint accessibility
    Test connectivity to dotCMS API endpoints (e.g., curl http://localhost:8080/api/v1/). Check if the REST API port is exposed and accessible from the network.
    Affected if The dotCMS API endpoints are accessible over the network without proper network segmentation.
  4. Review API authentication configuration
    Check the dotCMS configuration files (dotmarketing-config.properties or osgi/confing.properties) for authentication settings and verify which user accounts have API access permissions.
    Affected if API access is granted to untrusted or non-administrative user accounts.

You are affected if dotCMS version 4.0.0 through 22.10.1 is installed and its API endpoints are accessible to authenticated users who can manipulate file paths.

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 a release after 22.10.1
Interim mitigation

Restrict API access to trusted authenticated users only, implement strict input validation and path sanitization on all file path parameters in the affected API endpoints, and upgrade to a patched version once released.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

dotCMS 22.10.3 or later

  1. 1. Back up the current dotCMS installation and database before proceeding with any upgrade.
  2. 2. Download the latest stable version of dotCMS from the official repository (https://github.com/dotCMS/dotcms/releases).
  3. 3. Review the upgrade documentation specific to your current version at https://docs.dotcms.com/docs/upgrade-dotcms.
  4. 4. Stop the dotCMS application server.
  5. 5. Perform the database backup.
  6. 6. Deploy the new version (22.10.3 or later) to your application server.
  7. 7. Start the application server and verify the upgrade was successful.
  8. 8. Test that the patched API endpoints no longer accept directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../).
Caveat Review release notes for any breaking changes between your current version and 22.10.3; major version jumps may require migration steps

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

Fix this in Dotcms Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
36.0 hours of engineering $6,400
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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-2022-45783 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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