# CVE-2022-35740: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Attackers can bypass access controls and view restricted content by using semicolons in URLs to evade path-based security filters in dotCMS.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Nov 2022
- **Updated:** 1 May 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qv8m-37rr-fj54

## What is CVE-2022-35740?

CVE-2022-35740 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Dotcms Dotcms, published on 10 Nov 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

dotCMS before 22.06 allows remote attackers to bypass intended access control and obtain sensitive information by using a semicolon in a URL to introduce a matrix parameter. (This is also fixed in 5.3.8.12, 21.06.9, and 22.03.2 for LTS users.) Some Java application frameworks, including those used by Spring or Tomcat, allow the use of matrix parameters: these are URI parameters separated by semicolons. Through precise semicolon placement in a URI, it is possible to exploit this feature to avoid dotCMS's path-based XSS prevention (such as "require login" filters), and consequently access restricted resources. For example, an attacker could place a semicolon immediately before a / character that separates elements of a filesystem path. This could reveal file content that is ordinarily only visible to signed-in users. This issue can be chained with other exploit code to achieve XSS attacks against dotCMS.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-35740?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Dotcms Dotcms.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-35740?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-35740 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-35740 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-35740 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Dotcms Dotcms

- [CVE-2022-26352](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-26352/): dotCMS Unrestricted Upload of File (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-19138](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-19138/): File upload in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-6754](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-6754/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-5344](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-5344/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-2355](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2355/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-35740 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-35740 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Dotcms Dotcms, published on 10 Nov 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-35740 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Dotcms Dotcms. 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-2022-35740/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35740/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-35740
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-35740
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-35740

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35740/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.