# CVE-2023-36819: Knowage-Server vulnerable to Path traversal in download functionalities

> Authenticated attackers can exploit path traversal in Knowage-Server to download arbitrary files, including sensitive configuration data.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Jul 2023
- **Updated:** 22 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jw99-hxxj-75g2

## What is CVE-2023-36819?

CVE-2023-36819 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in KnowageLabs Knowage-Server, published on 3 Jul 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Knowage is the professional open source suite for modern business analytics over traditional sources and big data systems. The endpoint `_/knowage/restful-services/dossier/importTemplateFile_` allows authenticated users to download template hosted on the server. However, starting in the 6.x.x branch and prior to version 8.1.8, the application does not sanitize the `_templateName_ `parameter allowing an attacker to use `*../*` in it, and escaping the directory the template are normally placed and download any file from the system. This vulnerability allows a low privileged attacker to exfiltrate sensitive configuration file. This issue has been patched in Knowage version 8.1.8.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-36819?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Eng Knowage.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-36819?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-36819 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-36819 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-36819 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in KnowageLabs Knowage-Server

- [CVE-2023-38702](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38702/): Knowage Server vulnerable to path traversal via upload functionality (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2019-13188](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-13188/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-59954](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59954/): Knowage Contains a Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2021-30055](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-30055/): SQL injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-13348](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-13348/): Information disclosure in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-36819 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-36819 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in KnowageLabs Knowage-Server, published on 3 Jul 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-36819 exists.

Affected product: KnowageLabs Knowage-Server. 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-2023-36819/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36819/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-36819
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-36819
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-36819

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36819/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.