CVE-2022-26352
CVE-2022-26352 is a security flaw in dotCMS. Attackers can run their own code on dotCMS from anywhere, without logging in. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 25 Aug 2022, and says ransomware gangs have used it.[1]
dotCMS is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. dotCMS has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an unrestricted upload of file in dotCMS dotCMS. In its words: “dotCMS ContentResource API contains an unrestricted upload of file with a dangerous type vulnerability that allows for directory traversal, in which the file is saved outside of the intended storage location. Exploitation allows for remote code execution.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “An issue was discovered in the ContentResource API in dotCMS 3.0 through 22.02. Attackers can craft a multipart form request to post a file whose filename is not initially sanitized. This allows directory traversal, in which the file is saved outside of the intended storage location. If anonymous content creation is enabled, this allows an unauthenticated attacker to upload an executable file, such as a .jsp file, that can lead to remote code execution.”[2]
The underlying weakness is path traversal (CWE-22), CWE-138, in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; dotCMS’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as dotCMS dotCMS.
Most families won’t have dotCMS; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 25 Aug 2022, 39 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 15 Sep 2022 to fix it.[1] CISA says ransomware gangs have used it.
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 91%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
dotCMS has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.dotCMS is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 15 Sep 2022 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks, noting that ransomware gangs have used it.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 91%.[4] |
See also
Other path traversal flaws
- CVE-2025-61624, Fortinet products: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-3199, ONLYOFFICE Docs: server path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-104286, Fortinet FortiMail: path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-93616, Check Point products: path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-66384, JFrog Artifactory: improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2022-24706, Apache CouchDB: insecure default initialization of resource ·
- CVE-2022-24112, Apache APISIX: authentication bypass ·
- CVE-2022-22963, VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud: function remote code execution ·
- CVE-2022-2294, WebRTC: heap buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2021-39226, Grafana Labs Grafana: authentication bypass ·
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “dotCMS Unrestricted Upload of File Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 25 Aug 2022.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2022-26352 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 17 Jul 2022.
- ^ dotCMS. Advisories and fixes: dotcms.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.912, percentile 99.8, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2022-26352”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.