CVE-2022-36066Network attack vector

Authenticated RCE via archive path traversal

Published Sep 29, 2022 · Updated Apr 23, 2025

Unrestricted file upload in Discourse before 2.8.9 and 2.9.0.beta10 allows remote authenticated users to execute code via crafted archives. The compression decompressor joined archive entry names to the destination without enforcing containment, allowing Zip or Gzip Tar path traversal to write arbitrary files. Administrator privileges are required to upload the archive; successful exploitation can execute code with the Discourse service privileges and affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVSS severity9.1
Critical
EPSS probability1.66%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Unrestricted file upload in Discourse before 2.8.9 and 2.9.0.beta10 allows remote authenticated users to execute code via crafted archives. The compression decompressor joined archive entry names to the destination without enforcing containment, allowing Zip or Gzip Tar path traversal to write arbitrary files. Administrator privileges are required to upload the archive; successful exploitation can execute code with the Discourse service privileges and affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-36066
Published
Sep 29, 2022
Updated
Apr 23, 2025
Vendor
Discourse
Product
Discourse
Classifications
CWE-434, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 29, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 23, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 2.8.9
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 2.9.0.beta0, < 2.9.0.beta10

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Discourse · Discourseversion=< 2.8.9; version=>= 2.9.0.beta0, < 2.9.0.beta10

Published CVSS scores

9.1GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-434Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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