# CVE-2023-52085: Winter CMS Local File Inclusion through Server Side Template Injection

> Attackers with backend form access can exploit a Local File Inclusion vulnerability in Winter CMS to read arbitrary files from the server.

- **Severity:** Low 3.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 29 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2x7r-93ww-cxrq

## What is CVE-2023-52085?

CVE-2023-52085 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in wintercms winter, published on 29 Dec 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Winter is a free, open-source content management system. Users with access to backend forms that include a ColorPicker FormWidget can provide a value that would then be included without further processing in the compilation of custom stylesheets via LESS. This had the potential to lead to a Local File Inclusion vulnerability. This issue has been patched in v1.2.4.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52085?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including winter/wn-backend-module. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `winter/wn-backend-module` | Packagist | All versions | 1.2.4 |
| `winter/wn-backend-module` | Packagist | All versions | 1.2.4 |

Products: Wintercms Winter.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-52085?

Upgrade winter/wn-backend-module to 1.2.4 or later.

## Is CVE-2023-52085 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-52085 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Winter CMS Local File Inclusion - (LFI) (nuclei): http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-52085.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in wintercms winter

- [CVE-2026-27591](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27591/): Winter: Privilege escalation by authenticated backend users (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-54149](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-54149/): Winter CMS Modules allows a sandbox bypass in Twig templates leading to data modification and deletion (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2022-39357](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-39357/): Winter vulnerable to Prototype Pollution in Snowboard framework (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2024-29686](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-29686/): Winter CMS Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) vulnerability (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2023-52083](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52083/): Stored XSS through privileged upload of Media Manager file followed by renaming (low 2.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-52085 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-52085 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in wintercms winter, published on 29 Dec 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-2023-52085 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- winter/wn-backend-module (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 1.2.4
- winter/wn-backend-module (Packagist): affected all versions; fixed in 1.2.4

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-2023-52085/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52085/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52085
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52085
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-52085

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-52085/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.