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CVE-2023-37896

Nuclei Path Traversal vulnerability

7.5 HighFix available

Nuclei is a vulnerability scanner. Prior to version 2.9.9, a security issue in the Nuclei project affected users utilizing Nuclei as Go code (SDK) running custom templates. This issue did not affect CLI users. The problem was related to sanitization issues with payload loading in sandbox mode. There was a potential risk with payloads loading in sandbox mode. The issue occurred due to relative paths not being converted to absolute paths before doing the check for sandbox flag allowing arbitrary files to be read on the filesystem in certain cases when using Nuclei from Go SDK implementation.

This issue has been fixed in version 2.9.9. The maintainers have also enabled sandbox by default for filesystem loading. This can be optionally disabled if required. The -sandbox option has been deprecated and is now divided into two new options: -lfa (allow local file access) which is enabled by default and -lna (restrict local network access) which can be enabled by users optionally. The -lfa allows file (payload) access anywhere on the system (disabling sandbox effectively), and -lna blocks connections to the local/private network.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

1.05%Up 1.0 points since Aug 5, 2023
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 7.5

Nuclei Path Traversal vulnerability

Nuclei is a vulnerability scanner. Prior to version 2.9.9, a security issue in the Nuclei project affected users utilizing Nuclei as Go code (SDK) running custom templates. This issue did not affect CLI users. The problem was related to sanitization issues with payload loading in sandbox mode. There was a potential risk with payloads loading in sandbox mode. The issue occurred due to relative paths not being converted to absolute paths before doing the check for sandbox flag allowing arbitrary files to be read on the filesystem in certain cases when using Nuclei from Go SDK implementation.

This issue has been fixed in version 2.9.9. The maintainers have also enabled sandbox by default for filesystem loading. This can be optionally disabled if required. The -sandbox option has been deprecated and is now divided into two new options: -lfa (allow local file access) which is enabled by default and -lna (restrict local network access) which can be enabled by users optionally. The -lfa allows file (payload) access anywhere on the system (disabling sandbox effectively), and -lna blocks connections to the local/private network.

Record
CVE-2023-37896
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-22
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-2189 7.5

Nuclei is a vulnerability scanner. Prior to version 2.9.9, a security issue in the Nuclei project affected users utilizing Nuclei as Go code (SDK) running custom templates. This issue did not affect CLI users. The problem was related to sanitization issues with payload loading in sandbox mode. There was a potential risk with payloads loading in sandbox mode. The issue occurred due to relative paths not being converted to absolute paths before doing the check for sandbox flag allowing arbitrary files to be read on the filesystem in certain cases when using Nuclei from Go SDK implementation.

This issue has been fixed in version 2.9.9. The maintainers have also enabled sandbox by default for filesystem loading. This can be optionally disabled if required. The -sandbox option has been deprecated and is now divided into two new options: -lfa (allow local file access) which is enabled by default and -lna (restrict local network access) which can be enabled by users optionally. The -lfa allows file (payload) access anywhere on the system (disabling sandbox effectively), and -lna blocks connections to the local/private network.

Record
EUVD-2023-2189
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-2xx4-jj5v-6mff 7.5

Nuclei Path Traversal vulnerability

Overview

We have identified and addressed a security issue in the Nuclei project that affected users utilizing Nuclei as Go code (SDK) running custom templates. This issue did not affect CLI users. The problem was related to sanitization issues with payloads loading in sandbox mode.

Details

In the previous versions, there was a potential risk with payloads loading in sandbox mode. The issue occurred due to relative paths not being converted to absolute paths before doing the check for sandbox flag allowing arbitrary files to be read on the filesystem in certain cases when using Nuclei from Go SDK implementation.

This issue has been fixed in the latest release, v2.9.9. We have also enabled sandbox by default for filesystem loading. This can be optionally disabled if required.

The -sandbox option has been deprecated and is now divided into two new options: -lfa (allow local file access) which is disabled by default and -lna (restrict local network access) which can be optionally disabled by user. The -lfa allows file (payload) access anywhere on the system (disabling sandbox effectively), and -lna blocks connections to the local/private network.

Affected Versions

This issue affected all versions of Nuclei prior to v2.9.9.

Patches

We recommend all users upgrade to the latest version, v2.9.9, which includes the security fix.

References

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank keomutchoiboi who reported this issue to us via our security email, [email protected]. We appreciate the responsible disclosure of this issue.

Record
GHSA-2xx4-jj5v-6mff
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-22
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 7.5

Nuclei is a vulnerability scanner. Prior to version 2.9.9, a security issue in the Nuclei project affected users utilizing Nuclei as Go code (SDK) running custom templates. This issue did not affect CLI users. The problem was related to sanitization issues with payload loading in sandbox mode. There was a potential risk with payloads loading in sandbox mode. The issue occurred due to relative paths not being converted to absolute paths before doing the check for sandbox flag allowing arbitrary files to be read on the filesystem in certain cases when using Nuclei from Go SDK implementation.

This issue has been fixed in version 2.9.9. The maintainers have also enabled sandbox by default for filesystem loading. This can be optionally disabled if required. The -sandbox option has been deprecated and is now divided into two new options: -lfa (allow local file access) which is enabled by default and -lna (restrict local network access) which can be enabled by users optionally. The -lfa allows file (payload) access anywhere on the system (disabling sandbox effectively), and -lna blocks connections to the local/private network.

Record
CVE-2023-37896
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-22
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 7.5

Nuclei Path Traversal vulnerability

Nuclei is a vulnerability scanner. Prior to version 2.9.9, a security issue in the Nuclei project affected users utilizing Nuclei as Go code (SDK) running custom templates. This issue did not affect CLI users. The problem was related to sanitization issues with payload loading in sandbox mode. There was a potential risk with payloads loading in sandbox mode. The issue occurred due to relative paths not being converted to absolute paths before doing the check for sandbox flag allowing arbitrary files to be read on the filesystem in certain cases when using Nuclei from Go SDK implementation.

This issue has been fixed in version 2.9.9. The maintainers have also enabled sandbox by default for filesystem loading. This can be optionally disabled if required. The -sandbox option has been deprecated and is now divided into two new options: -lfa (allow local file access) which is enabled by default and -lna (restrict local network access) which can be enabled by users optionally. The -lfa allows file (payload) access anywhere on the system (disabling sandbox effectively), and -lna blocks connections to the local/private network.

Record
CVE-2023-37896
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-22
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-2xx4-jj5v-6mff 7.5

Nuclei Path Traversal vulnerability

Overview

We have identified and addressed a security issue in the Nuclei project that affected users utilizing Nuclei as Go code (SDK) running custom templates. This issue did not affect CLI users. The problem was related to sanitization issues with payloads loading in sandbox mode.

Details

In the previous versions, there was a potential risk with payloads loading in sandbox mode. The issue occurred due to relative paths not being converted to absolute paths before doing the check for sandbox flag allowing arbitrary files to be read on the filesystem in certain cases when using Nuclei from Go SDK implementation.

This issue has been fixed in the latest release, v2.9.9. We have also enabled sandbox by default for filesystem loading. This can be optionally disabled if required.

The -sandbox option has been deprecated and is now divided into two new options: -lfa (allow local file access) which is disabled by default and -lna (restrict local network access) which can be optionally disabled by user. The -lfa allows file (payload) access anywhere on the system (disabling sandbox effectively), and -lna blocks connections to the local/private network.

Affected Versions

This issue affected all versions of Nuclei prior to v2.9.9.

Patches

We recommend all users upgrade to the latest version, v2.9.9, which includes the security fix.

References

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank keomutchoiboi who reported this issue to us via our security email, [email protected]. We appreciate the responsible disclosure of this issue.

Record
GHSA-2xx4-jj5v-6mff
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-22
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGO-2023-1998 No score

Improper path sanitization in sandbox mode in github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v2

Improper path sanitization in sandbox mode in github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v2

Record
GO-2023-1998
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v2
Go
before 2.9.9
2.9.9
github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei
Go
before 2.9.9
2.9.9

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliases, publishedEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2023-37896 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Projectdiscovery Nuclei, published August 4, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.05%, the 64th percentile. Fixed in github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v2 2.9.9.

References

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