Overview
CVE-2025-65345 describes a directory traversal vulnerability found in alexusmai’s Laravel File Manager, specifically versions 3.3.1 and below. This flaw allows a malicious actor to craft archives (ZIP files) that, when extracted using the file manager’s built-in functionality, can create files and directories outside the intended web application’s scope. This is due to insufficient validation of file paths during the archiving process.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides in the zip/archiving component of the Laravel File Manager. When a user creates an archive, the file manager doesn’t properly sanitize or validate the paths of files and directories included in the archive. An attacker can exploit this by crafting a ZIP file containing entries with relative paths like ../../../../etc/passwd or similar path traversal sequences. When the file manager extracts this malicious archive, it attempts to write files to the locations specified in the archive, potentially overwriting system files or planting malicious scripts outside the intended file management scope.
For example, an attacker could create a ZIP file containing a file named ../../../public/.htaccess. If the application extracts this ZIP file, it could overwrite the .htaccess file in the public directory, potentially allowing the attacker to control the web server’s behavior.
CVSS Analysis
Currently, the CVSS score for CVE-2025-65345 is not available (N/A). However, due to the potential for arbitrary file write and the potential for code execution, this vulnerability should be considered a high risk. A proper CVSS score, once calculated, is likely to be in the High or Critical range, depending on the exploitability and impact.
Possible Impact
The impact of this vulnerability is significant. Successful exploitation could lead to:
- Arbitrary File Write: Attackers can write files to arbitrary locations on the server, potentially overwriting critical system files.
- Remote Code Execution (RCE): By writing malicious PHP scripts or other executable files to the web server’s document root, attackers can gain remote code execution capabilities.
- Data Exfiltration: Attackers can potentially read sensitive files, such as configuration files or database credentials.
- Denial of Service (DoS): Overwriting critical system files can cause the application or even the entire server to crash.
- Website Defacement: Replacing the website’s index page with a malicious one.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
To mitigate the risk of CVE-2025-65345, the following steps are recommended:
- Upgrade Laravel File Manager: The primary solution is to upgrade to a patched version of Laravel File Manager that addresses this vulnerability. Check the official repository for updates. If a patch is unavailable consider alternatives
- Input Validation: Implement robust input validation on file paths before creating or extracting archives. Specifically:
- Sanitize file paths to remove any path traversal sequences (e.g.,
../). - Ensure that all file paths are within the allowed directory scope.
- Use absolute paths internally and avoid relying on user-supplied relative paths.
- Sanitize file paths to remove any path traversal sequences (e.g.,
- Least Privilege Principle: Run the web server process with the least necessary privileges to minimize the impact of a successful attack.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a WAF to detect and block malicious requests attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Configure rules to identify and block path traversal attempts.
- Disable Archiving: Temporarily disable archiving functionality if a patch is not immediately available and the feature is not essential.
