# CVE-2009-10005: ContentKeeper Web Appliance < 125.10 Arbitrary File Access via mimencode

> Unauthenticated attackers can read arbitrary files from the ContentKeeper Web Appliance filesystem via a vulnerable CGI endpoint.

- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Aug 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j7xg-86q3-cw3p

## What is CVE-2009-10005?

CVE-2009-10005 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in ContentKeeper Technologies Web Appliance, published on 20 Aug 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

ContentKeeper Web Appliance (now maintained by Impero Software) versions prior to 125.10 expose the mimencode binary via a CGI endpoint, allowing unauthenticated attackers to retrieve arbitrary files from the filesystem. By crafting a POST request to /cgi-bin/ck/mimencode with traversal and output parameters, attackers can read sensitive files such as /etc/passwd outside the webroot.

Weakness: CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-10005?


## How do I fix CVE-2009-10005?

No fix has been published for CVE-2009-10005 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2009-10005 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2009-10005 exists.

Public exploit code:

- ContentKeeper Web Appliance mimencode File Access (metasploit)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-10005 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-10005 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in ContentKeeper Technologies Web Appliance, published on 20 Aug 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2009-10005 exists.

Affected product: ContentKeeper Technologies Web Appliance. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-10005/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-10005/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-10005
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-10005
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-10005

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-10005/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.