CVE-2025-22873
Description
A path traversal vulnerability has been identified in the Go os package affecting the Root abstraction, where improper handling of trailing path separators could allow access to the parent directory of a configured root directory. By supplying a filename ending in "../", an attacker may be able to open the immediate parent directory of the intended Root. Although this escape does not allow traversal to higher-level ancestors or direct access to files within the parent directory, it may expose directory metadata or unintended filesystem structure if the application passes untrusted path input to Root.Open.
Statement
Red Hat Product Security classified this issue as Moderate.
The flaw exists in a local filesystem abstraction within the Go standard library, it can also be exploited remotely in applications that accept attacker-controlled path input over a network and pass it to Root.Open without proper validation. The attack complexity is low, as exploitation requires only appending "../" to the supplied path. However, the impact is limited: the flaw permits opening only the immediate parent directory, not arbitrary filesystem locations or files contained within that directory. There is no direct impact on file integrity or application availability. These constraints limit the practical exposure of the issue while still represents a boundary bypass and may expose unintended filesystem metadata. The issue does not permit traversal beyond the parent directory, modification of files, or broader system compromise, thereby constraining its overall impact.
Mitigation
No mitigation is currently available that meets Red Hat Product Security’s standards for usability, deployment, applicability, or stability.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.3 | N/A | 3.8 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Changed |
| Confidentiality | Low | N/A | Low |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
The attacker may be able to create or overwrite critical files that are used to execute code, such as programs or libraries.
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Files or Directories
The attacker may be able to overwrite or create critical files, such as programs, libraries, or important data. If the targeted file is used for a security mechanism, then the attacker may be able to bypass that mechanism. For example, appending a new account at the end of a password file may allow an attacker to bypass authentication.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Files or Directories
The attacker may be able read the contents of unexpected files and expose sensitive data. If the targeted file is used for a security mechanism, then the attacker may be able to bypass that mechanism. For example, by reading a password file, the attacker could conduct brute force password guessing attacks in order to break into an account on the system.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
The attacker may be able to overwrite, delete, or corrupt unexpected critical files such as programs, libraries, or important data. This may prevent the product from working at all and in the case of protection mechanisms such as authentication, it has the potential to lock out product users.
Frequently Asked Questions
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