CVE-2026-104107 in FileRise
Summary
by MITRE • 10/14/2026
FileRise is a self-hosted web-based file manager with multi-file upload, editing, and batch operations. In FileRise 3.22.0, the /api/file/saveFile.php operation accepts dot and dot-dot segments in its attacker-controlled folder input before ACL inheritance evaluates the uncanonicalized string. With an authenticated non-administrator session, a valid CSRF token, and inherited edit permission on a legitimate ancestor, the local filesystem or WebDAV adapter later resolves those segments as path navigation, permitting attacker-controlled file creation outside the authorized folder and, where backend credentials permit, outside the configured WebDAV root. Local storage also created directories before final containment validation and used a prefix comparison that accepted similarly named sibling roots. This issue is fixed in version 3.23.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2026
FileRise represents a self-hosted web-based file management solution designed to facilitate multi-file uploads, editing capabilities, and batch operations for users managing digital assets within an organizational or personal infrastructure. The application relies on specific API endpoints to handle file system interactions, with the /api/file/saveFile.php operation serving as a critical interface for persisting user-uploaded content into designated storage locations. This endpoint is intended to enforce strict access controls by ensuring that files are saved only within directories where the authenticated user possesses explicit permissions. However, in version 3.22.0 of FileRise, a significant path traversal vulnerability exists within this operation due to improper canonicalization of input data before security checks are applied.
The core technical flaw lies in how the application processes folder paths provided by the attacker-controlled input parameter. Specifically, the system accepts dot and double-dot segments, which represent current directory references and parent directory navigation respectively, without normalizing or resolving these path components prior to evaluating Access Control Lists (ACLs). This sequence error allows an authenticated non-administrator user who holds a valid Cross-Site Request Forgery token and has inherited edit permissions on a legitimate ancestor directory to manipulate the target save location. By injecting relative path traversal sequences such as ../, the attacker can bypass the intended containment boundaries defined by their authorized folder structure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, leading to unauthorized file creation outside the scope of the user's assigned privileges. Because the ACL inheritance mechanism evaluates permissions against the uncanonicalized string rather than the resolved absolute path, the system incorrectly grants write access based on the ancestor directory’s permissions while actually writing files into arbitrary locations within the local filesystem or WebDAV adapter root. This effectively allows an attacker to escape their designated sandbox and potentially overwrite critical application files, inject malicious scripts, or disrupt service availability by corrupting essential data structures. In environments where backend credentials permit broader access, this flaw can extend beyond the configured WebDAV root, further expanding the blast radius of a successful exploitation attempt.
Additionally, local storage implementations within FileRise 3.22.0 exhibit compounding weaknesses related to directory creation and validation logic. The system creates directories prior to performing final containment validations, which means that even if subsequent checks fail, the side effects of path traversal may already be committed to disk. Furthermore, the application employs a prefix comparison strategy for validating paths against allowed roots. This approach is inherently fragile because it accepts similarly named sibling roots; for instance, if one root is /data/files and another is /data/filess, a request targeting /data/filess/evil.php might incorrectly pass validation when intended to be restricted to the former directory due to string prefix matching errors rather than strict path equality or canonicalization.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers such as CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which describes issues where software does not properly neutralize special elements within file paths that can cause the path to resolve outside of the intended directory. It also relates to CWE-831: Triggering Incorrect ACL Evaluation, highlighting the critical importance of canonicalizing inputs before applying security policies. From an adversary perspective, this flaw facilitates privilege escalation and unauthorized data manipulation, mapping closely to ATT&CK techniques involving file system discovery and potential persistence mechanisms if malicious files are successfully placed in executable or autoloaded directories.
Mitigation for this issue requires immediate updates to version 3.23.0 of FileRise, where the developers have addressed these path handling deficiencies. For organizations unable to patch immediately, defensive measures should include implementing strict input validation that rejects any file paths containing relative navigation sequences like dot-dot segments before they reach backend processing logic. Additionally, adopting canonicalization libraries that resolve all symbolic links and relative references into absolute paths prior to ACL evaluation is essential. Security teams should also review directory creation routines to ensure containment checks occur before filesystem mutations take place, thereby preventing side effects from failed validation attempts. Regular audits of access control lists against resolved physical paths rather than logical input strings will further harden the application against similar traversal attacks in future versions or related components.