# CVE-2025-53632: Chall-Manager's scenario decoding process does not check for zip slips

> Unauthenticated attackers can exploit zip slip vulnerabilities in Chall-Manager to write files outside the intended directory, potentially leading to code execution.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 10 Jul 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3gv2-v3jx-r9fh, GO-2025-3808

## What is CVE-2025-53632?

CVE-2025-53632 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in ctfer-io chall-manager, published on 10 Jul 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Chall-Manager is a platform-agnostic system able to start Challenges on Demand of a player. When decoding a scenario (i.e. a zip archive), the path of the file to write is not checked, potentially leading to zip slips. Exploitation does not require authentication nor authorization, so anyone can exploit it. It should nonetheless not be exploitable as it is highly recommended to bury Chall-Manager deep within the infrastructure due to its large capabilities, so no users could reach the system. Patch has been implemented by commit 47d188f and shipped in v0.1.4.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-53632?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/ctfer-io/chall-manager. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/ctfer-io/chall-manager` | Go | All versions | 0.1.4 |
| `github.com/ctfer-io/chall-manager` | Go | All versions | 0.1.4 |
| `github.com/ctfer-io/chall-manager` | Go | All versions | 0.1.4 |

Products: Ctfer-Io Chall-Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-53632?

Upgrade github.com/ctfer-io/chall-manager to 0.1.4 or later.

## Is CVE-2025-53632 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-53632 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- An exploit of CVE-2025-53632 to confirm exploitability (github_poc): https://github.com/pandatix/CVE-2025-53632

## Other vulnerabilities in ctfer-io chall-manager

- [CVE-2025-53633](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53633/): Chall-Manager's scenario decoding process does not check for zip bombs (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2025-53634](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53634/): Chall-Manager's HTTP Gateway have no header check timeout leading to potential slow loris attacks (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2026-32768](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32768/): Chall-Manager's invalid NetworkPolicy enables a malicious actor to pivot into another namespace (high 7.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-53632 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-53632 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in ctfer-io chall-manager, published on 10 Jul 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-2025-53632 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/ctfer-io/chall-manager (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.1.4
- github.com/ctfer-io/chall-manager (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.1.4
- github.com/ctfer-io/chall-manager (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.1.4

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-2025-53632/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53632/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-53632
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53632
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53632

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53632/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.