# CVE-2026-23521: Traccar vulnerable to Path Traversal and External Control of File Name or Path

> Authenticated users can write files outside the media directory by manipulating device uniqueId during image upload in Traccar.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Feb 2026
- **Updated:** 25 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rc28-cvfc-chqr

## What is CVE-2026-23521?

CVE-2026-23521 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in traccar, published on 23 Feb 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Versions of the Traccar open-source GPS tracking system up to and including 6.11.1 contain an issue in which authenticated users who can create or edit devices can set a device `uniqueId` to an absolute path. When uploading a device image, Traccar uses that `uniqueId` to build the filesystem path without enforcing that the resolved path stays under the media root. This allows writing files outside the media directory. As of time of publication, it is unclear whether a fix is available.

Weakness: CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23521?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Traccar Traccar.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-23521?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-23521 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-23521 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-23521 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in traccar

- [CVE-2024-31214](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-31214/): Traccar's unrestricted file upload vulnerability in device image upload could lead to remote code execution (critical 9.7)
- [CVE-2024-7746](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-7746/): Use of default credentials at Traccar fleet management solution (critical 9.5)
- [CVE-2026-25648](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-25648/): Traccar Vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via Malicious SVG File Upload (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2023-50729](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-50729/): An unrestricted file upload vulnerability in traccar leads to RCE (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2020-5246](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5246/): LDAP injection vulnerability in Traccar GPS Tracking System (high 7.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-23521 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-23521 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in traccar, published on 23 Feb 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-23521 exists.

Affected product: traccar. 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-2026-23521/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23521/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23521
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23521
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-23521

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23521/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.