Overview
The open-source software File Browser, frequently used for managing files within a specific directory, has been identified with a critical vulnerability, referenced as CVE-2025-52995. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.33.10. It exposes systems to potentially harmful shell commands, allowing unauthorized users to gain more control than they should ideally possess. This issue is of great concern to system administrators and developers using File Browser, as it could result in system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-52995
Severity: Critical (CVSS score 8.0)
Attack Vector: Remote
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
File Browser | Prior to 2.33.10
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability lies in the erroneous implementation of File Browser’s allowlist. An attacker, exploiting this vulnerability, could execute more shell commands than they are authorized for. This is due to the missing separation of scopes at the operating system level. Depending on the commands configured and the binaries installed on the server or in the container image, an attacker could gain access to all files managed by the File Browser application, including the database.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability. Note that this is a simplified representation and actual exploits may involve more complex interactions.
$ ssh user@target.example.com
password: [user enters low-privilege password]
$ filebrowser --scope /path/to/vulnerable/directory
[attacker enters unauthorized command]In this example, the attacker uses SSH to log into the target system with a low-privilege user account. They then run the File Browser application with a scope that includes the vulnerable directory. Due to the erroneous allowlist implementation, they’re able to execute commands that should be outside their authorization level.
Recommended Mitigation Strategies
The most effective mitigation strategy is to upgrade to version 2.33.10 of File Browser, where this issue has been patched. If that is not immediately possible, a temporary mitigation can be achieved by using a Web Application Firewall or an Intrusion Detection System to identify and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability. However, these are only stopgap measures and it is strongly advised to apply the patch as soon as feasible.