Arbitrary file write via embedded filename traversal
Published Mar 10, 2026 · Updated Mar 10, 2026
Path traversal in Apache PDFBox Examples 2.0.24 through 2.0.35 and 3.0.0 through 3.0.6 allows remote attackers to write files. ExtractEmbeddedFiles appends the untrusted value returned by PDComplexFileSpecification.getFilename() to the PDF's parent directory and writes the embedded content without canonicalizing or verifying the resulting path. Exploitation requires an application to invoke copied example code on an attacker-controlled PDF, and writes remain limited to locations permitted by the application's filesystem account.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in Apache PDFBox Examples 2.0.24 through 2.0.35 and 3.0.0 through 3.0.6 allows remote attackers to write files. ExtractEmbeddedFiles appends the untrusted value returned by PDComplexFileSpecification.getFilename() to the PDF's parent directory and writes the embedded content without canonicalizing or verifying the resulting path. Exploitation requires an application to invoke copied example code on an attacker-controlled PDF, and writes remain limited to locations permitted by the application's filesystem account.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-23907
- Published
- Mar 10, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 10, 2026
- Vendor
- The Apache Software Foundation
- Product
- Apache PDFBox Examples
- Classifications
- CWE-22
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 10, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=2.0.24 <=2.0.35
- Affected versionversion=3.0.0 <=3.0.6
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
- CVE-2026-23907 path-traversal proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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