# CVE-2023-48648: Concrete CMS allows unauthorized access because directories can be created with insecure permissions

> Attackers can access or modify files because Concrete CMS creates directories with overly permissive 0777 permissions by default.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 17 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 29 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m87h-jxr6-f82w

## What is CVE-2023-48648?

CVE-2023-48648 is a critical vulnerability in Concretecms Concrete Cms, published on 17 Nov 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Concrete CMS before 8.5.13 and 9.x before 9.2.2 allows unauthorized access because directories can be created with insecure permissions. File creation functions (such as the Mkdir() function) gives universal access (0777) to created folders by default. Excessive permissions can be granted when creating a directory with permissions greater than 0755 or when the permissions argument is not specified.

Weakness: CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-48648?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including concrete5/concrete5. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `concrete5/concrete5` | Packagist | All versions | 8.5.13 |
| `concrete5/concrete5` | Packagist | All versions | 8.5.13 |
| `concrete5/concrete5` | Packagist | From 9.0.0 | 9.2.2 |
| `concrete5/concrete5` | Packagist | From 9.0.0 | 9.2.2 |

Products: Concretecms Concrete Cms.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-48648?

Upgrade concrete5/concrete5 to a fixed version for your release line: 8.5.13 or 9.2.2.

## Is CVE-2023-48648 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-48648 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Concretecms Concrete Cms

- [CVE-2022-21829](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-21829/): Code injection in concrete CMS (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-22958](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22958/): Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerability in concrete5 (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-40098](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40098/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-8134](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-8134/): Concrete CMS Vulnerable to Relative Path Traversal (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2022-30117](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-30117/): Path traversal in Concrete CMS (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-48648 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-48648 is a critical vulnerability in Concretecms Concrete Cms, published on 17 Nov 2023. 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-2023-48648 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- concrete5/concrete5 (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 8.5.13
- concrete5/concrete5 (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 8.5.13
- concrete5/concrete5 (Packagist): affected from 9.0.0; fixed in 9.2.2
- concrete5/concrete5 (Packagist): affected from 9.0.0; fixed in 9.2.2

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-2023-48648/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-48648/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-48648
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-48648
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-48648

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-48648/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.