# CVE-2023-45689: Arbitrary file read via path traversal in Titan MFT and Titan SFTP servers

> An authenticated administrator can read arbitrary files on the server filesystem due to insufficient path validation in Titan MFT and SFTP servers.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9vp9-v4wh-433r

## What is CVE-2023-45689?

CVE-2023-45689 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in South River Technologies Titan MFT, published on 16 Oct 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Lack of sufficient path validation in South River Technologies' Titan MFT and Titan SFTP servers on Windows and Linux allows an authenticated attacker with administrative privileges to read any file on the filesystem via path traversal

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-45689?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Southrivertech Titan Mft Server, Southrivertech Titan Sftp Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-45689?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-45689 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-45689 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-45689 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in South River Technologies Titan MFT

- [CVE-2023-45685](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45685/): Arbitrary file write via "zip slip" in Titan MFT and Titan SFTP servers (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2023-45687](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45687/): Authentication bypass via session fixation in Titan MFT and Titan SFTP servers (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-45688](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45688/): Information leak via path traversal in Titan MFT and Titan SFTP servers (medium 4.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-45689 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-45689 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in South River Technologies Titan MFT, published on 16 Oct 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-45689 exists.

Affected product: South River Technologies Titan MFT. 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-2023-45689/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45689/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45689
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-45689
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-45689

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45689/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.