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Papercut MfApplication · Papercut

CVE-2023-31046

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 22.1.1 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
A Path Traversal vulnerability exists in PaperCut NG before 22.1.1 and PaperCut MF before 22.1.1. Under specific conditions, this could potentially allow an authenticated attacker to achieve read-only access to the server's filesystem, because requests beginning with "GET /ui/static/..//.." reach getStaticContent in UIContentResource.class in the static-content-files servlet.

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

A path traversal vulnerability in PaperCut NG and PaperCut MF versions before 22.1.1 allows authenticated attackers to read files from the server filesystem via specially crafted GET requests to /ui/static/..//..// paths. The getStaticContent function in UIContentResource.class fails to properly sanitize path traversal sequences, enabling access to files outside the intended static content directory.

MitigationUpgrade to PaperCut NG/MF version 22.1.1 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Additionally, review user account access privileges and implement network segmentation to limit the attack surface for authenticated exploitation.

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
Papercut MfApplication
Affected:< 22.1.1
Papercut NgApplication
Affected:< 22.1.1

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
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 the installed PaperCut version
    Access the PaperCut admin interface and navigate to Help > About, or check the version displayed on the login page. Alternatively, examine the installation directory for version information files.
    Affected if The version number is lower than 22.1.1 (for example, 22.0.5, 21.x, or earlier)
  2. Confirm the web interface is accessible
    Attempt to access the PaperCut web interface via HTTP/HTTPS on the configured port (typically 8080 or 9191).
    Affected if The web interface is reachable over the network and responds to requests
  3. Verify authentication is enabled
    Check whether the PaperCut user authentication is active by attempting to log in or reviewing the security settings in the admin console under Users > Authentication.
    Affected if User authentication is enabled and valid user accounts exist in the system
  4. Test the vulnerable path pattern
    Send a crafted GET request to /ui/static/..//..//etc/passwd (or similar sensitive file) using a web browser or curl tool while authenticated. Observe if the server returns file contents outside the static directory.
    Affected if The request returns the contents of files outside the intended static content directory, confirming the path traversal is exploitable

You are affected if your PaperCut NG or MF installation is version 22.1.0 or earlier, the web interface is accessible, and an authenticated user can successfully retrieve files outside the /ui/static/ directory using path traversal sequences.

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 22.1.1 or later
Fixed in 22.1.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to PaperCut NG/MF version 22.1.1 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Additionally, review user account access privileges and implement network segmentation to limit the attack surface for authenticated exploitation.

Recommended fix High confidence

PaperCut NG and PaperCut MF version 22.1.1

  1. Upgrade PaperCut NG to version 22.1.1 or later
  2. Upgrade PaperCut MF to version 22.1.1 or later

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

Fix this in Papercut Mf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,392.

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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-2023-31046 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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