# CVE-2023-29159: Starlette has Path Traversal vulnerability in StaticFiles

> Remote attackers can read arbitrary files from servers built with the Starlette Python framework due to a directory traversal flaw.

- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Jun 2023
- **Updated:** 9 Jan 2025
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2023-29159, GHSA-v5gw-mw7f-84px, PYSEC-2023-83, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-29159

## What is CVE-2023-29159?

CVE-2023-29159 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Encode Starlette, published on 1 Jun 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Directory traversal vulnerability in Starlette versions 0.13.5 and later and prior to 0.27.0 allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to view files in a web service which was built using Starlette.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-29159?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including starlette. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `starlette` | PyPI | From 0.13.5 | 0.27.0 |
| `starlette` | PyPI | From 0.13.5 | 0.27.0 |
| `starlette` | PyPI | From 0.13.5 | 0.27.0 |

Products: Encode Starlette.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-29159?

Upgrade starlette to 0.27.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-29159 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-29159 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Encode Starlette

- [CVE-2026-48710](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48710/): Kludex Starlette HTTP Request/Response Smuggling (medium 6.5, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-54283](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-54283/): Starlette: request.form() limits silently ignored for application/x-www-form-urlencoded enable DoS (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-48818](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48818/): Starlette: SSRF and NTLM credential theft via UNC paths in StaticFiles on Windows (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2023-30798](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-30798/): MultipartParser DOS with too many fields or files in Starlette Framework (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-48817](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48817/): Starlette: Arbitrary HTTP method dispatched to `HTTPEndpoint` attributes via `getattr` (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-29159 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-29159 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Encode Starlette, published on 1 Jun 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-2023-29159 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- starlette (PyPI): affected from 0.13.5; fixed in 0.27.0
- starlette (PyPI): affected from 0.13.5; fixed in 0.27.0
- starlette (PyPI): affected from 0.13.5; fixed in 0.27.0

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-2023-29159/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29159/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-29159
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-29159
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-29159

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-29159/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.