CVE-2022-26352

An issue was discovered in the ContentResource API in dotCMS 3.0 through 22.02. Attackers can craft a multipart form request to post a file whose filename is not initially sanitized. This allows directory traversal, in which the file is saved outside of the intended storage location. If anonymous content creation is enabled, this allows an unauthenticated attacker to upload an executable file, such as a .jsp file, that can lead to remote code execution.

CVSS: 9.8Criticalscored by CISA
Exploited in the wild: Yes, in CISA KEV since 25 Aug 2022CISA deadline for US federal agencies: 15 Sept 2022known use in ransomware campaignspublic exploit code
EPSS: 91.2%chance of exploitation in the next 30 daystop 0.2% of scored CVEsFIRST score of 11 Nov 2026
Fix: Not stated by the vendorno fixed release in the CVE record
Published: 17 Jul 2022analysed here 12 Nov 2026

Do first. Apply updates per vendor instructions. (CISA's required action for this KEV entry)

Summary

Triage

Exploitable: At runtime
Attack vector: network
Can a WAF block it?: Partly. See why

The summary, impact and action text on this page are written by our AI analysis pipeline, or taken from the NVD description when a CVE was imported from NVD. They are not the vendor's wording: check them against the sources. A longer AI executive summary and technical analysis are generated for signed-in accounts on the Max plan.

Affected products

Products named in our analysis

dotcms:dotcms

Fix and mitigation

WAF and other mitigations

Can a WAF block it? Partly. The attack uses a multipart form HTTP request to upload a file with a crafted filename that includes directory traversal sequences. While multipart uploads are normal, the unusual filename patterns can be detected by a WAF. A custom WAF rule can filter multipart form requests with filenames containing directory traversal sequences, but attackers can vary the request. No tracked WAF vendor has published a rule for this CVE yet.

What a custom rule would match: multipart form requests with filenames containing directory traversal sequences

Also consider: patch · custom WAF rule

Based on an AI reading of the CVE description, and no vendor rule found yet. We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.

Remediation steps (AI-written)

Step-by-step remediation is generated for accounts on the Max plan, for CVEs that match a technology in their stack. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.

Exploitation evidence

CISA KEV catalog: Listed since 25 Aug 2022. Known use in ransomware campaigns.
CISA due date: 15 Sept 2022, the remediation deadline for US federal agencies
CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Public exploit code: Yes: 1 Metasploit module · 1 Nuclei template
CISA SSVC: exploitation active, automatable yes, technical impact totalAssessed by CISA 22 Dec 2023 (SSVC 2.0.3). Exploitation is none, poc (public proof of concept) or active.

Metasploit

exploit/multi/http/dotcms_file_upload_rceexploit, rank excellent

Nuclei

DotCMS - Arbitrary File Uploaddetection template, critical

Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.

Timeline

17 Jul 2022Published
25 Aug 2022Added to CISA KEV (exploited in the wild)38 days later
15 Sept 2022CISA remediation due date (US federal agencies)21 days later
22 Dec 2023CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active463 days (about 1 year) later
21 Oct 2025CVE record last updated670 days (about 2 years) later
12 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com387 days (about 1 year) later

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Metric	Value	What it means
Attack vector	NetworkReachable over the internet or any routable network.	Reachable over the internet or any routable network.
Attack complexity	LowRepeatable attack, no special conditions.	Repeatable attack, no special conditions.
Privileges required	NoneThe attacker needs no prior access.	The attacker needs no prior access.
User interaction	NoneNo victim action needed.	No victim action needed.
Scope	UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.	Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality	HighTotal data disclosure possible.	Total data disclosure possible.
Integrity	HighComplete modification possible.	Complete modification possible.
Availability	HighFull outage possible.	Full outage possible.

Common questions

Is CVE-2022-26352 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2022-26352 appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed and reported. Treat it as active rather than theoretical, and patch it ahead of higher-scoring vulnerabilities that carry no exploitation evidence.

How severe is CVE-2022-26352?

CVE-2022-26352 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2022-26352?

Not known from our data. No patch reference has been recorded for CVE-2022-26352, which is not the same as no patch existing — a fix may have shipped without a tagged reference, or after this record was written. The vendor advisory is the only authority on whether a fix exists, and mitigations may be available regardless.

What does CVE-2022-26352 affect?

CVE-2022-26352 affects dotcms:dotcms. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

References

NVD CVE.org CVE Details Source

3 references in the CVE record, grouped by the tags the record gives them.

Where the data on this page comes from

CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
NVD: CVSS and CPE data
CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, due date
CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
Metasploit Framework: exploit and scanner modules
Nuclei templates: detection templates

Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.

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