CVE-2023-36460Network attack vector

Code execution via unrestricted media processing

Published Jul 6, 2023 · Updated Feb 13, 2025

Path traversal in Mastodon 3.5.0 through 3.5.8, 4.0.0 through 4.0.4, and 4.1.0 through 4.1.2 allows remote authenticated users to write files. The attachment pipeline processed crafted media before validation and lacked a restrictive ImageMagick policy for coders, URLs, filters, and indirect path reads. An account with media-upload access can overwrite files writable by Mastodon, causing service interruption or arbitrary code execution.

CVSS severity9.9
Critical
EPSS probability40.11%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Path traversal in Mastodon 3.5.0 through 3.5.8, 4.0.0 through 4.0.4, and 4.1.0 through 4.1.2 allows remote authenticated users to write files. The attachment pipeline processed crafted media before validation and lacked a restrictive ImageMagick policy for coders, URLs, filters, and indirect path reads. An account with media-upload access can overwrite files writable by Mastodon, causing service interruption or arbitrary code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-36460
Published
Jul 6, 2023
Updated
Feb 13, 2025
Vendor
Mastodon
Product
Mastodon
Classifications
CWE-22, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 6, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 13, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=>= 3.5.0, < 3.5.9
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.5
  3. Affected versionversion=>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Mastodon · Mastodonversion=>= 3.5.0, < 3.5.9; version=>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.5; version=>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.3

Published CVSS scores

9.9GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
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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