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Arbitrary File Read in Static Middleware on Windows

High
ReneWerner87 published GHSA-m3c2-496v-cw3v Feb 24, 2026

Package

gomod github.com/gofiber/fiber/v3 (Go)

Affected versions

<= 3.0.0

Patched versions

3.1.0

Description

Summary

Description
A Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in Fiber allows a remote attacker to bypass the static middleware sanitizer and read arbitrary files on the server file system on Windows. This affects Fiber v3 through version 3.0.0. This has been patched in Fiber v3 version 3.1.0.

Details

The vulnerability resides in middleware/static/static.go within the sanitizePath function. This function attempts to sanitize the requested path by checking for backslashes, decoding the URL, and then cleaning the path.

The vulnerability stems from two combined issues:

  • The check for backslash characters happens before the URL decoding loop. If an attacker sends a double-encoded backslash, the initial check sees %255C and passes. The loop then decodes this into a single backslash.
  • The function uses path.Clean to clean the resulting string. path.Clean is designed for slash-separated paths and does not recognize backslashes as directory separators. Consequently, sequences like ..\..\ are treated as valid filenames.

When this sanitized path is later used, the backslashes are interpreted as valid separators, allowing the attacker to traverse up the directory tree.

// pkg/static/static.go
func sanitizePath(p []byte, filesystem fs.FS) ([]byte, error) {
    ...
    // this check happens BEFORE decoding
    if bytes.IndexByte(p, '\\') >= 0 {
        ...
    } 
    // This loop decodes %255C to %5C to \
    for strings.IndexByte(s, '%') >= 0 {
        us, err := url.PathUnescape(s)
        ...
        s = us
    }
    // path.Clean only understands forward slashes (/)
    s = pathpkg.Clean("/" + s)
    ...
    return utils.UnsafeBytes(s), nil
}

Impact

This impacts Fiber v3 prereleases through stable release version 3.0.0.

Successful exploitation requires the server to be using the static middleware on Windows, as this is the only OS where backslashes are treated as directory separators by the file system.

Exploitation allows directory traversal on the host server. An attacker can read arbitrary files within the scope of the application server context. Depending on permissions and deployment conditions, attackers may access sensitive files outside the web root, such as configuration files, source code, or system files. Leaking application secrets often leads to further compromise.

Patches

This has been patched in Fiber v3 version 3.1.0. Users are strongly encouraged to update to the latest available release.

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector Network
Attack Complexity Low
Attack Requirements None
Privileges Required None
User interaction None
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality High
Integrity None
Availability None
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality None
Integrity None
Availability None

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector: This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. This metric value (and consequently the resulting severity) will be larger the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable system. The assumption is that the number of potential attackers for a vulnerability that could be exploited from across a network is larger than the number of potential attackers that could exploit a vulnerability requiring physical access to a device, and therefore warrants a greater severity.
Attack Complexity: This metric captures measurable actions that must be taken by the attacker to actively evade or circumvent existing built-in security-enhancing conditions in order to obtain a working exploit. These are conditions whose primary purpose is to increase security and/or increase exploit engineering complexity. A vulnerability exploitable without a target-specific variable has a lower complexity than a vulnerability that would require non-trivial customization. This metric is meant to capture security mechanisms utilized by the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: This metric captures the prerequisite deployment and execution conditions or variables of the vulnerable system that enable the attack. These differ from security-enhancing techniques/technologies (ref Attack Complexity) as the primary purpose of these conditions is not to explicitly mitigate attacks, but rather, emerge naturally as a consequence of the deployment and execution of the vulnerable system.
Privileges Required: This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess prior to successfully exploiting the vulnerability. The method by which the attacker obtains privileged credentials prior to the attack (e.g., free trial accounts), is outside the scope of this metric. Generally, self-service provisioned accounts do not constitute a privilege requirement if the attacker can grant themselves privileges as part of the attack.
User interaction: This metric captures the requirement for a human user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise of the vulnerable system. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the VULNERABLE SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVE ID

CVE-2026-25891

Weaknesses

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

The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. Learn more on MITRE.

Credits