CVE-2026-32731 CRITICAL

CVE-2026-32731: ApostropheCMS has Arbitrary File Write (Zip Slip / Path Traversal) in Import-Export Gzip Extraction

Vendor Apostrophecms
Product import-export
Weakness CWE-22 · Path traversal
Published March 18, 2026
Last update March 19, 2026

CVSS base score

10.0/10
Attack vector Network
Attack complexity Low
Privileges required Low
User interaction None
Confidentiality High
Integrity High

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

What the vulnerability does

01Description

ApostropheCMS is an open-source content management framework. Prior to version 3.5.3 of `@apostrophecms/import-export`, The `extract()` function in `gzip.js` constructs file-write paths using `fs.createWriteStream(path.join(exportPath, header.name))`. `path.join()` does not resolve or sanitise traversal segments such as `../`. It concatenates them as-is, meaning a tar entry named `../../evil.js` resolves to a path outside the intended extraction directory. No canonical-path check is performed before the write stream is opened. This is a textbook Zip Slip vulnerability. Any user who has been granted the Global Content Modify permission — a role routinely assigned to content editors and site managers — can upload a crafted `.tar.gz` file through the standard CMS import UI and write attacker-controlled content to any path the Node.js process can reach on the host filesystem. Version 3.5.3 of `@apostrophecms/import-export` fixes the issue.

Key dates

02Disclosure timeline

March 18, 2026 CVE published
March 19, 2026 Record updated