# CVE-2023-38012: IBM Cloud Pak System directory traversal

> Remote attackers can traverse directories via crafted URLs to view arbitrary files on IBM Cloud Pak System.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/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:** 25 Jan 2025
- **Updated:** 27 Jan 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j7vf-q996-69xm

## What is CVE-2023-38012?

CVE-2023-38012 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in IBM Cloud Pak System, published on 25 Jan 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Cloud Pak System 2.3.3.6, 2.3.3.6 iFix1, 2.3.3.6 iFix2, 2.3.3.7, 2.3.3.7 iFix1, and 2.3.4.0 could allow a remote attacker to traverse directories on the system. An attacker could send a specially crafted URL request containing "dot dot" sequences (/../) to view arbitrary files on the system.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-38012?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Cloud Pak System.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-38012?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-38012 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-38012 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-38012 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Cloud Pak System

- [CVE-2019-4130](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-4130/): File upload in Cloud Pak System (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2026-13463](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-13463/): Due to use of IBM Storage Protect, IBM Cloud Pak System is affected by vulnerability [] (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2023-38273](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38273/): IBM Cloud Pak System information disclosure (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2019-4521](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-4521/): Code injection in Cloud Pak System (high 7.0)
- [CVE-2020-4928](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4928/): File upload in Cloud Pak System (medium 6.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-38012 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-38012 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in IBM Cloud Pak System, published on 25 Jan 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-38012 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Cloud Pak System. 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-2023-38012/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38012/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-38012
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-38012
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-38012

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38012/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.