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CVE-2026-23942

5.4 · MEDIUM

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Erlang OTP (ssh_sftpd module) allows Path Traversal.

Published Mar 13, 2026CWE-22EPSS 0.38%

Overview

CVE-2026-23942 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on March 13, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4, rated MEDIUM. It can be exploited remotely over the network. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Erlang OTP (ssh_sftpd module) allows Path Traversal.

This vulnerability is associated with program files lib/ssh/src/ssh_sftpd.erl and program routines ssh_sftpd:is_within_root/2.

The SFTP server uses string prefix matching via lists:prefix/2 rather than proper path component validation when checking if a path is within the configured root directory. This allows authenticated users to access sibling directories that share a common name prefix with the configured root directory. For example, if root is set to /home/user1, paths like /home/user10 or /home/user1_backup would incorrectly be considered within the root.

This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 28.4.1, OTP 27.3.4.9 and OTP 26.2.5.18, corresponding to ssh from 3.0.1 before 5.5.1, 5.2.11.6 and 5.1.4.14.

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

References

Refcna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-23942.htmlGitHubgithub.com/erlang/otp/commit/27688a824f753d4c16371dc70e88753fb410590bGitHubgithub.com/erlang/otp/commit/5ed603a1211b83b8be2d1fc06d3f3bf30c3c9759GitHubgithub.com/erlang/otp/commit/9e0ac85d3485e7898e0da88a14be0ee2310a3b28GitHubgithub.com/erlang/otp/security/advisories/GHSA-4749-w85x-hw9hRefosv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-23942Refwww.erlang.org/doc/system/versions.html#order-of-versions

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-23942?

CVE-2026-23942 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on March 13, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-23942?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4, rated MEDIUM. It can be exploited remotely over the network. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-23942?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-23942?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2026-23942 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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