# CVE-2023-27856: Rockwell Automation ThinManager ThinServer Path Traversal Download

> An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit a path traversal vulnerability in Rockwell Automation ThinManager ThinServer to download arbitrary files from the server.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 25 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9hjj-m2fc-f62r

## What is CVE-2023-27856?

CVE-2023-27856 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Rockwell Automation ThinManager ThinServer, published on 21 Mar 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In affected versions, path traversal exists when processing a message of type 8

 in Rockwell Automation's ThinManager ThinServer. 

An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability to download arbitrary files on the disk drive where ThinServer.exe is installed.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-27856?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Rockwellautomation Thinmanager.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-27856?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-27856 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-27856 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-27856 exists.

Public exploit code:

- ThinManager Path Traversal (CVE-2023-27856) Arbitrary File Download (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in Rockwell Automation ThinManager ThinServer

- [CVE-2023-27855](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-27855/): Rockwell Automation ThinManager ThinServer Path Traversal Upload (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-10386](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-10386/): Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk ThinManager Authentication Vulnerability (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2024-5988](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5988/): Rockwell Automation ThinManager® ThinServer™ Improper Input Validation Vulnerability (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2024-5989](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5989/): Rockwell Automation ThinManager® ThinServer™ Improper Input Validation Vulnerability (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2024-10387](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-10387/): Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk ThinManager Denial-of-Service Vulnerability (high 8.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-27856 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-27856 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Rockwell Automation ThinManager ThinServer, published on 21 Mar 2023. 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-2023-27856 exists.

Affected product: Rockwell Automation ThinManager ThinServer. 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-2023-27856/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-27856/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-27856
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-27856
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-27856

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-27856/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.