Directory escape via separatorless canonical-prefix check
Published Apr 25, 2022 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Path traversal in OWASP Enterprise Security API for Java before 2.3.0.0 allows attackers to escape an expected directory boundary. DefaultValidator.getValidDirectoryPath compares canonical paths with a prefix test that omits a terminating separator, so a sibling name sharing the parent's prefix passes as a child. Exploitation requires a consuming application to pass an attacker-controlled complete path to the validator; the validation bypass exposes only control flow gated by that application's directory check.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in OWASP Enterprise Security API for Java before 2.3.0.0 allows attackers to escape an expected directory boundary. DefaultValidator.getValidDirectoryPath compares canonical paths with a prefix test that omits a terminating separator, so a sibling name sharing the parent's prefix passes as a child. Exploitation requires a consuming application to pass an attacker-controlled complete path to the validator; the validation bypass exposes only control flow gated by that application's directory check.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-23457
- Published
- Apr 25, 2022
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- OWASP ESAPI
- Product
- OWASP Enterprise Security API for Java
- Classifications
- CWE-22
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 25, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=2.3.0.0 <2.3.0.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GitHub Security Lab sibling-prefix bypass demonstrationproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo